Dauntless: Side Stories
by Francis D. Saber
Summary: Official Side stories from Allora Gale's Dauntless
1. Checkmate

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. Dauntless was created and written by Allora gale.

AN:

Allora has been writing Dauntless for almost two years. She has crafted a fantastic world filled with her wonderful OC's - it is truly a entertaining tale. Since I've enjoyed reading Dauntless and it's sometimes speedy updates, I figure it's time I gave something back. Thank you Allora Gale for the hours of entertainment.

This side story has her Go Ahead and hopefully it gives off a dauntless-like-feel.

I have more Side stories planned and time permitting I intend to write them.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of reviews.

* * *

**Checkmate**

Lelouch was idly staring at the passage of time. Tick-tock it went, slowly taunting him of the hour. It was almost midnight when he broke his gaze and checked his surroundings. He immediately noticed the files and folders that were scattered around his table, documents that he had analyzed earlier. He had slowly and methodically scanned each and every document - trying in vain to determine who or what was funding the various Japanese resistance movements.

Of course, confidential documents weren't the only thing cluttering his antique work desk. Neatly stacked on one of the corners was a pile of slightly worn comics. These just weren't any ordinary comics either, these were manga - to some entertaining pieces of literature to others priceless collectables but to most they were relics of a dying culture.

Lelouch had stumbled upon them earlier, in a hidden table drawer of all things. It had happened as he was stretching his legs; his knee had bumped one of the table legs, rotating a segment of it as if it were a dial. It was a strange thing to see at the time, so with his curiosity piqued, he had systematically prodded and fiddled with his antique looking table. It had taken some trial and error but he'd eventually heard a loud mechanical click. It turned out one of the table's drawers had a false bottom and with the proper dial combination it would open. In hindsight, he should have known, after all it was only natural for wealthy and influential people to have hidey holes for that important file or rather, in this case, that questionable hobby.

The whole exercise had seemed like a treasure hunt to Lelouch, he just hadn't known what kind of fortune he would find. He had wondered as to what kind of secrets the former master of the house kept. In his mind it could have been some kind of illicit blackmail material, or documents of earth shattering potential -the kind of things a noble would hide from prying eyes - whatever it was it had promised to be interesting.

So he had excitedly withdrawn the contents, only to discover pages and pages of masterfully drawn girls in provocative poses and skimpy clothing. As he continued to scan through countless pages where some unnamed protagonist or another was pitted time and again in situations that were both comedic and vaguely erotic, he remembered Suzaku mentioning that some _manga_ were written exactly like this; the 'ecchi' and 'harem' genre if he recalled correctly. Not that the genre stopped him from interestingly flipping through the contents and _indulging _himself at the time – all in all he was still a man - no matter how young or inexperienced. Eventually he had simply put them in a corner, he had a country to run and work to do. Besides, he thought, the faster he finished, the sooner he could pleasure himself - with his manga - they were part-comedy and would often make him smile, amongst other things.

As the grandfather clock in his study struck midnight it emitted a loud clang, jolting the prince from his thoughts. "Time for bed I suppose." He said out loud. As he prepared to depart his study, he glanced longingly back to his new found collection once more. But with a loud sigh he continued walking. The day was done and he simple didn't have the time to entertain such mundane activities, no matter how enjoyable or stimulating. He consoled himself with the thought that there was always tomorrow.

As he walked towards his room he noticed the night staff cleaning one of the villa's drawing rooms. That just wouldn't do. He quickly flipped out his phone and pressed the speed dial.

"Yes, Lelouch?" A familiar alto answered after a few rings.

"Edith. Please make sure the maids stay away from my study."

"Of course, Lelouch. Is there anything else you need?" She replied in her no nonsense tone.

"That's it, good night." He replied whilst cutting the line.

With that he had ensured that the maids wouldn't see the top secret documents – and as an added bonus they wouldn't see the not-so-wholesome manga either. A win-win in his book. He had his image to think about - the rumor about C.C being his mistress was bad enough, but if someone found them his nightmare might just come true. No matter how unlikely, he definitely didn't want to be labeled the Pervert of Britannia. With a quick grimace at the thought he turned into a hallway.

As Lelouch got closer to his room he started feeling the cumulative fatigue of the long hours of this particularly long week. So as he round the corner, inches from his designated room, he could think of nothing more than the peaceful embrace of sleep. However, as he entered his familiar moonlit room, something at the back of his mind nagged him that something was unusual. He could feel his body's senses quickly heightening as adrenaline pumped through his veins, his senses going into overdrive into finding what exactly set him off.

In the span of a few seconds he had crossed out numerous items on his mental checklist, from his secured windows to C.C.'s trousers that were currently on the floor. Perhaps he was just tired, but he couldn't quite place what was wrong. He continued to run down the list; comfortable luxury bed - check, C.C. soundly asleep wearing his shirt - check, nice warm blankets waiting for him - check, a single pillow in the middle of the bed . . .

And just like that the ruler of Area Eleven's mind hit the mental breaks, it was paramount to a high-speed crash. He was simply dumbfounded. Where, he wondered, was the great wall of pillows? Why was the usual barrier between him and his unwanted bedfellow reduced to a single, nondescript, white pillow? Even as he wondered why his mind couldn't help think that the scene was familiar.

And just like that, his mind flashed back to a scene from one particular chapter. In which the protagonist (who just happened to be a prince) was seduced in his own bed by a wily witch.

_ "J- Jeannine! W-What are you doing here?" The protagonist asked. _

_ But the witch just smiled seductively and slowly crawled toward him. Closer and closer she came and for every movement - little by little her robe slowly peeled off her lithe body, showing more and more of her hidden treasure. Her eyes never left his as she inched closer. When the witch's face was finally inches away from the prince's, she simply answered huskily "Just getting ready for bed, milord"_

Before Lelouch could continue daydreaming the entire scene, C.C.'s sleeping figure moved just a tiny bit - an exhale, inadvertently causing him to glance at her – something he immediately regretted. His eyes were glued to her body like a child watching cartoons for the first time. He especially kept his eyes on his shirt – it was only partly buttoned but it was also slowly riding up just past her navel, giving Lelouch more glimpses of creamy flesh. As his eyes continued to wander - they caught the slight outline of her curves, taunting him of hidden pleasures that he could only begin to fathom. She was so close, and as he made a move to feel her soft, supple skin - inches away - his mind snapped him out of his fantasy with the force of a battering ram. In his daze to understand what he almost did, he came to one shocking conclusion.

He was turning into a pervert.

That wasn't acceptable. Not to him, not ever. It was all the manga's fault, it had filled his imagination with all kinds of lewd things - he had to get rid it. Then another thought hit him. What if the witch planted the manga? Or even worse. What if she'd seen him reading the manga? In his sleep deprived state, he concluded that this was all some kind of master plan of hers. No one really understood why C.C. did the things she did, but it all made sense to the prince. Why else would she wear nothing but his shirt to bed or forgo the usual border of pillows?

Because she was toying with him... again.

Then his rational mind countered that it could just be one big coincidence. His mind continued to go awry until he discovered the time. Had he really just spent twenty minutes hovering uncertainly next to his bed?

He was losing important sleep over this. Maybe that was C.C's plan - get him so tired that he would just say yes to the new pizza stove she'd been bugging him about. Of course. That was probably it. And he wasn't about to let her win.

A couple of sleeping pills later and he was sound asleep, completely oblivious to anything and everything around him.

* * *

Edith Cardston's eyes scanned page after page on the brightly lit screen, ensuring her files were in order. Technically she was off the clock, unfortunately her job never ended. Not that she was complaining – not in her wildest dreams had she ever expected to be a prince's personal assistant.

It was a surprising thing really. She'd prided herself when she was promoted to chamberlain from a mere maid. To her it didn't matter that the Aeries Villa had lost its prestige when the consort died or that it was merely a rest stop for various dignitaries or politicians trying to curry favor. All that had mattered was that it was her domain and that she had achieved it with her own merit. Then came along Prince Lelouch Vi Britannia and, with hurricane like force, her world was changed forever.

She was happy; working for Lelouch was fulfilling – she knew she was making a difference, Area Eleven was infinitely better with him as viceroy - and given half the chance she knew he would change the world, and she'd be right there behind him.

With a few quick button presses her work was saved. It was time for her other duties, so she stretched slightly before getting up. She was also de facto ruler of the household. Ensuring that everything ran smoothly in a villa of this size was akin to coaching a championship team – at the best of times things ran just like a winning team should, smoothly, but at the worst of times it was a cacophony of organized chaos.

Not that she didn't enjoy it, but sometimes it was time consuming. A perfect example of which was exactly what she was doing now; striding through the halls because she had to check on the night staff. Even though she didn't need to - the eleven maids were very efficient yet; it always helped to have the boss look around. It wasn't a difficult task; in fact she thought it was even relaxing to go back to the ordinary affairs of household management.

As she was moving through the house, her phone starting ringing to a tune that alerted her that the prince was calling.

In one quick motion, she retrieved her phone and answered.

"Yes, Lelouch?"

"Edith. Please make sure the maids stay away from my study." He responded with his unique prince-like tone - part request, part command.

"Of course, Lelouch. Is there anything else you need?" She asked steadily, keeping her mirth under control. It just wouldn't do to remind the prince that there was a lock in his study.

"That's it, good bye" He replied whilst cutting the line.

"Now, that's interesting." she said to herself.

In all her time in the prince's employ, she had received plenty of odd requests. Locking a door was pretty mundane, but the question was why. Lelouch trusted the staff not to go into his study, and even if he didn't the halls were monitored. The command was awfully fishy, almost as if he was hiding something – it wasn't normal, it seemed to lack his usual finesse. Perhaps she'd just have to have a look-see. He'd only mentioned the maid's after all. With renewed vigor, she changed direction and headed towards the prince's study, her long strides echoing through the silent night.

* * *

Sayuri was doing her rounds, ensuring everything was neat and proper. It was just another work night for her, but with the late hours slowly crawling by it was only natural that she hated the night-shift. Unluckily for her, the towering stature of her employer required a full staff at all hours. This was her second time working the nightshift and it was just how she remembered it; painfully boring. Huge swaths of time with nothing to do - a far cry from the busy hustle and bustle of the day.

She came to stop at one of the villa's many sitting rooms. Her brief examination of the hallways concluded what she already knew: Princess Abigail hadn't moved from the library. She had glimpsed her presence there during her first round around the floor and she hadn't moved since. It was now her eighth round on this particular floor.

From what she saw in each and every time she passed by; Sayuri noticed that the princess was engrossed in a hardbound book. There was nothing strange about that – at least until she'd started drinking. With each of her walkabouts she could _feel_ the woman becoming more and more inebriated. It was the little things that gave it away.

The first clue was the giggling; the prim and proper lady never giggled and most certainly not like a schoolgirl talking about their crush. It was so out of character, Sayuri mused that it would probably get her another slice of chef Samantha White's world famous cheesecake - that woman loved her gossip.

The second clue was a bit more subtle. The princess, from the first day she'd arrived, gave _the look_ whenever the staff were around. Her eyes would narrow, her face would scrunch up as if it smelled something foul - that haughty blueblood look every noble seemed to have that implied 'I'm better then you, filthy Eleven'.

She was ignored the first couple of times she passed by, but as time went on, every time the young maid would walk through the halls - the princess would glance up and for the briefest of moments the tell tale signs of disappointment would adorn her features, as if the princess was hoping for someone else.

The whole scenario was unusual and a bit sad to say the least. It almost made her want to keep the story for herself.

Almost.

She'd decide later, as natural as gossip was she didn't want any of it coming back and hurting the Viceroy. It certainly wasn't in her nature to want to hurt anyone and certainly not someone she liked. So no matter how insignificant the damage might be, it was something she'd have to consider carefully. No matter how much fun it would've been to talk about the '_princess', _she wouldn't if it would negatively affect the Viceroy.

She owed Lelouch-sama that much. Not that she was alone in that category. She, along with many others, thought the newly arrived prince was merely stringing them along. Speech or no, for the first few days the she could practically feel the proverbial sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, waiting to end their very existences. Everyone watched their steps very closely, ensuring that they didn't misstep. It wasn't like her reasoning was flawed either. Britannian citizens loathed the Numbers and, at least in her mind, she'd thought the notorious prince would likely embody the values of his homeland.

Fortunately, she was proven wrong.

The first inkling she had of everything being more than some nefarious plot was when Cardston-san had announced that everyone was getting a small raise befitting employees of the vi Britannia estate. At the time, she'd thought it couldn't be more than few more pounds per paycheck. That is until she finally did receive her next check. The magnitude of the increase was so shocking that she'd immediately thought it couldn't have been anything but a mistake. She had quickly called her coworkers to discuss the error, but apparently she wasn't the only one. One-by-one her coworkers had confirmed the sum of the money they'd made.

It shouldn't have been possible that mere Numbers - most with no post-secondary education – could make more than lower-class Britannians. So the following day, with a stomach full of anxiety, Sayuri had delicately asked Cardston-san about it. Unfortunately, her English skills were not yet up to par and only lead to Edith misunderstanding her. But nonetheless the response was something that was engraved into her memory.

_ "If you think you're not being compensated enough, Sayuri, I can schedule you a meeting with the prince. But you're already getting paid slightly more than me when I was a maid. "_

The words didn't immediately register at the time to the young Japanese maid, but what did grab her attention was that Prince Lelouch vi Britannia's personal assistant had treated her like she would an equal. Gone from her expression was the look of disdain that she usually got from Britannians. If that wasn't enough of a shock, the words she uttered most certainly were. A maid - a mere Number - getting offered a personal appointment with a prince. It was surreal and at the time it was like she was getting hit by lightning - repeatedly. She was so embarrassed that she had stumbled through her limited vocabulary trying to explain. Needless to say it had taken time, but she had eventually gotten her point across. Thankfully, Edith Cardston was one patient individual.

An echo of footsteps echoed through the hallways, alerting Sayuri that Princess Abigail was finally turning in for the night - or so she hoped. She stealthily crept toward the hallway, hoping to catch a glimpse of the lady. As she neared the hallway she snuck a glance and certainly enough there the princess was – the lady was walking steadily in a not-so-straight line, her body wobbling ever so slightly from side to side, indicating to the world her intoxication.

Sayuri followed at a discreet distance, watching as the lady ascended the stairs. As the lady safely disappeared from view, she hurriedly did a one-eighty and headed back to the library.

* * *

Edith had arrived at the prince's study with the intent of taking a quick look around. She surveyed the room with military-like precision, observing everything and admiring nothing. At least until something caught her inquisitive gaze. It was a stack of books sitting neatly on the corner of his antique desk. With stacks of plain, manila office folders occupying the desk, the worn yet colorful covers made the books stick out like a sore thumb.

Upon closer inspection, she quickly discovered that they weren't quite what she expected. They were books alright; but instead of being filled with the usual words, she saw artfully drawn pictures instead. She didn't think much of it and almost placed the pseudo-book back in the stack, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

Edith didn't understand kanji, but she could at least look at the pictures. She stood ever so quietly, slowly flipping through the pages, examining the pictures with interest.

"It couldn't be." She whispered as her face slowly reddened.

Faster and faster she flipped through the pages. No longer was she analyzing the pages – now she scanned them speedily and with all the finesse of a drunken sailor. When she finished with one, her hands merely reached for another, then another.

Finally, her mind had caught up to what she was seeing, she involuntary let out a gasp, as if she had been struck, inadvertently letting go of the comic, with gravity taking its course it fell with an inaudible thud.

The contents came as a terrible surprise to the young woman. She was the prince's assistant – his right hand. She thought she knew her prince, yet the evidence was here. It was ironclad! He had hidden it so well, but the prince's secret was out, at least to her.

Lelouch vi Britannia was a pervert.

How else could she rationally explain those pages filled with erotically drawn women? Though she had no idea what was being said in the comics, there couldn't be any other explanation. Right?

She needed to have another look. This was her prince, she couldn't afford assumptions. Knowing anything and everything about Lelouch was her job, even if it was just about his smut. So with all the energy with a woman on a mission, she picked one of them at random and started going through it again.

Upon closer examination she quickly discovered a few things. Yes, they were filled with provocative woman in rather lewd attire, but that was as far as the comics went. From what she understood of the scenes, the protagonist would either a) get into a situation where he would accidentally brush against a woman's or women's private parts and summarily get beaten half to death or b) have a band of devoted yet seductive hanger-on's that he didn't quite seem to know what to do with. All-in-all these seemed more to her like situations that the average teenage boy fantasized about.

Perhaps, Edith pondered . . . That C.C. could have driven her prince into looking into this particular brand of stress relief. Not that she could fault him. Powerful he may be, he was still young, a teenager even. Her prince could only cope for so long, with all the subtle teasing the sly woman's done. It was a wonder that Lelouch was only giving in now.

Nevertheless, it was her responsibility to look after the prince as well. So if a few comics gave him the stress relief he desired, then who was she to argue? It was just another thing the prince had deemed to hide from her. To ensure he wouldn't be too embarrassed, she'd just have to feign innocence. Before she left, she'd just have to make sure that she'd leave no trace. It was always nice to give Lelouch the illusion of privacy.

* * *

Edith Cardston had just turned into the north hallway. Her gait was slow but steady, her eyes roving about, scanning her surroundings. By this late hour, she was usually done with her rounds. But Sayuri, the young Japanese maid had proved elusive. The northern hallway and its adjoining rooms were the last places she had to look. She was certain the Eleven was nearby.

Up ahead, the echo of a door being shut alerted Edith to her target's whereabouts. Her sharp eyes looked up and narrowed, the sound had come from the end of the hallway - the library. _Time for payback_ she thought.

She silently moved towards one of the hallway's alcoves, a larger then average threshold that lead into a sitting room. Ensuring that she couldn't be seen from the corner which led into the library, she leaned towards the door and made herself comfortable as she laid in wait like a tiger waiting to pounce on a unsuspecting victim.

She didn't have to wait long. The soft clang of glass bottles gave away the young woman's position, closer-and-closer she came, unsuspectingly walking into her grasp. She waited and she waited until she saw her quarry – she continued walking and time seemed to slow ever so slightly as the maid unknowingly passed her by .

Once the girl had passed, she silently stepped out behind her. The Eleven was only a few feet away when she called out to her.

"Sayuri!"

Any notion that the young woman had noticed Edith as she'd passed was erased when she visibly jumped in surprise.

Edith's expression of smug satisfaction quickly turned into abject horror as the young maid spun towards the voice. It was a mere reflex reaction, but it inadvertently caused a chain reaction. Sayuri started to stumble – which quickly escalated into the maid's flailing out. Empty wine bottles and a book came tumbling down as her now empty hands tried to reach anything to steady her. Unfortunately, gravity was too strong and the maid's course was set. She fell backwards, mouth slightly agape in a silent scream and as quickly as it started, it was over. The maid was safely back onto Earth as her bum landed with a silent thud.

"Oh my - Are you ok?" Edith Cardston asked in concern, reaching out to help the young girl.

"C-Cardston-san," The Eleven managed to stammer out, taking the offered hand. "I'm fine." She finally responded with a shy smile as she stood.

"Are you sure?" The assistant asked as she surveyed the younger woman. All in all, the young woman seemed alright. Sure, her dark locks were slightly frayed from the fall and her usually immaculate uniform was slightly wrinkled, but besides that she didn't seem injured.

"Yes, Ma'am" And as if to prove her point, she bent down smoothly and reached for one of the empty wine bottles.

"I'm terribly sorry – you're so jumpy tonight – perhaps surprising you wasn't one of my better ideas" Edith apologized, as she bent down to help out, reaching for the hardbound book.

"It's ok Cardston-san; I was just…um - daydreaming?" The maid replied hesitantly.

"Yes, that's the right word." Helping the girl along. "It's nice to see you've been expanding your vocabulary, Sayuri – But what are you doing with this?" She asked as she held the book in front of her. there were no distinguishing marks upon the tome except for the bold letters 'The Sensuous Embrace'.

Sayuri blushed about four shades redder, as if Edith had caught her with her hands in the cookie jar. In a way she had. 'The Sensual Embrace' was a recent Britannian Times best seller. It was rumored to inflame the imaginations of lonely woman everywhere with its descriptive scenes making even the most experienced of women blush.

"Umm…ano..It's the princess'." She managed to stammer.

Edith, unsatisfied with the response, narrowed her eyes into a withering glare as if to say 'And?', pinning the young woman in place. Sweat trickled down the maid's forehead, her empty hand clenched and unclenched repeatedly as she wilted under the pressure. Unused to such looks from her immediate superior she quickly caved, answering hesitantly "She was…drunk. She forgot it when she left."

Edith gave Sayuri a short reprieve as the maid reached for the last wayward bottle. She didn't posses the prince's almost inhumanly analytical mind but she was almost certain that she knew why the usual cheerful Sayuri was so nervous - she'd just have to verify it. Being a boss did have its perks.

"So . . ." Edith paused dramatically, hoping to lull Sayuri into complacency. After a few moments of silence, the Canadian struck with words as her weapon. Her stern voice ringing out, "Did you read it."

Edith had worded it as a question, but for all intents and purposes she'd presented it as a fact - as if she was a lawyer presenting evidence. The effect on the maid was just as good as she was hoping. She was used to seeing Sayuri as a cheerful, average, Japanese teen. But as soon as her statement struck, the effect was almost instantiations. Wide-eyed, Sayuri stood stalk still as if time had stopped; her mouth opened and closed making an accurate impression of a giant fish.

Seconds ticked by with no change, the Asian's expression was too much. Edith couldn't hold it any longer and started giggling uncontrollably.

"If you could . . . only see . . . your face. It's priceless." She managed to say between giggles. "It's okay. You aren't in trouble. Don't look at me like that, you made me look all over for you. Now why don't you tell me about her royal highness. Don't leave out any details."

Edith started moving past Sayuri, confident that the maid would follow. As she waited for the girl to catch up, Edith pondered just why the princess had decided to get intoxicated and what she had done after. But as she started listening to the tale, she left her questions for tomorrow – hopeful that the answers would be entertaining.

* * *

Lelouch awoke ever so slowly, his eyes groggily blinking open and shut trying to adjust to the predawn light piercing through the curtains. It was a start of a new day but despite the fact that he was an early riser, his mind was yet to fully awaken. Thus seeing a rare opportunity, his subconscious, enjoying his current comfort, struck and quietly but forcefully told him to go back to sleep. A few seconds later the prince found himself unwittingly yet eagerly shutting his eyes, giving in to the inevitable.

Before he could submit to the blissful embrace of quiet oblivion, his conscious mind, honed by the hard rigors of military training, noticed something amiss. With his eyes still closed and in his groggy state, it was a couple moments before he noticed a few strange details. The first of which, was the unnatural yet comforting warmth he felt. Noting the anomaly, and with his mind given a task, his thoughts began to clear more and more as it revved its engine. Little by little additional details came flooding in. Alone, none of it was alarming, but together and arriving in an alarming cascade of data, the prince began to ever-so-slightly feel the weight of his predicament.

He quickly noticed the added weight to his body, at first he thought it was a pillow; the notion only lasted for a split-second as he felt the pressure pleasantly constricting around him. As he tried to think, a distracting tickle of hot air hit him from behind his nape - it was warm and moist, it came and went in a constant rhythm. It was so sudden and yet it felt so familiar, it almost reminded him of those days when he slept by Nunnally's side - the impromptu thought made him pause as the ominous realization jolted him fully awake.

Lying on his side, he cautiously opened his eyes and began to take stock of the situation. He immediately noticed a tangle of green hair just at his neck-line blocking his view downwards. It was obvious that C.C. was currently resting her head on his chest. Not only that, but he could also feel her limbs entwined comfortably around his.

Her smooth and creamy skin in such close proximity to him had effects on his young and virgin body. It was a natural reaction he told himself. Still, Lelouch wanted to move- to caress and feel what was around him - his iron-will stayed his hand, lest he awaken the terrible witch. After all, who knew how C.C would react if she woke to his limbs entwined with hers, let alone if he started exploring her body with his hands.

Sometimes being a hormonal teenager was a hazard. It had taken less than a minute to notice something amiss and find the culprit. Yet once he realized the unlucky or rather_ lucky_ situation he was in, his subconscious started bringing up to the front of his mind, images and scenes vaguely familiar to his current situation, all of them he mused often lead to _illicit_ outcomes. So instead of roaming his hands in places he knew he shouldn't touch he relaxed into the embrace, enjoying the comfort and warmth it provided. It was a opportunity no matter how awkward it was and his mother had raised him to take the plus in any situation.

Before his brain tricked him into acting like a pervert, another blast of warm air hit him from behind. His eyes widened comically as he felt a pair of arms coming from behind, tightening their hold on his body. The being behind him pressed into him until he could feel soft and supple mounds hitting his backside.

He may have forgotten about that little detail in his _excitement_

Panicking, his mind went into overdrive once more. C.C was one thing, she wouldn't do anything to impede his goals but another woman was another thing all together and they were such terrible foes. He inhaled sharply trying to calm himself, breath in – breath out. He continued to do so until he caught a familiar whiff of lavender. Given a clue, he tackled his memories, searching for a face that matched the specific scent profile.

His analytical mind, his sharpest and most potent weapon, froze in realization. He was dumbfounded, he was nervous, his blood pressure started to rise exponentially. He was just short of hyperventilating as he pondered the consequences of this moment. There was only one person he knew who wore Lavender scented perfumes. A trickle of sweat dripped down from his brow.

Lelouch thought himself experienced in bad situations. He'd started young, at the tender age of ten, when he'd seen his mother murdered and his sister crippled. As a child he had walked the war torn streets of Japan with little hope of survival. During his teenage years he had to deal with one Milly Ashford, the scourge of everything that was normal. He had gone to war, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths – deaths by his hand. He had committed Fratricide with no remorse, ending Clovis's life like it was any other. He was Lelouch Vi. Britannia; prince and viceroy - military man and politician but none of that could have prepared him for this. In short, the Wolf of Britannia, scourge of the enemies of the empire, was totally and utterly screwed.

At least no one had walked in on them.

He should have known better then to jinx it.

The telltale sound of a door knob being turned quickly followed his thoughts, as if fate was taunting him.

The door opened.

"Lelou-"A familiar alto stopped mid-word. A moment passed . . . he held his breath. A second later he heard a click, and the door shutting silently. As he mentally noted to give his assistant another raise, the woman behind him started stirring. Her arms wrapped around him moved ever so slightly, her face nuzzling his neck. When she stilled, he started breathing again. He wanted to scream in frustration. There was no way out. He was intimately sandwiched between two women. Most teenagers would consider this a dream-come-true, but to the Viceroy of Area Eleven, this was a living nightmare.

He closed his eyes, removing the added stimuli, as he pondered a solution to his problem. He tried moving but it was no use, he was being boxed in by two sets of limbs. It was futile to attempt to move, he need a plan B and he need it fast, time was running out and it was only a matter of time before one of his bedmates would awaken.

With a quiet sigh, he opened his eyes and his soul almost jumped out of its physical confines in shock. The witch was awake. She was composed and sporting that damnable Cheshire grin of hers, as if everything was going her way. Which it probably was. She was staring at him from her perch on his chest and when she was sure she had his attention, she winked.

She didn't stop there either. She just had to push the envelope as she began caressing a hand that most certainly didn't belong to her. Not soon after, the woman behind him began stirring once more. He glanced at her almost pleadingly for her to stop - to desist. If his wife awoke to this situation, the harpy just might eat him alive. And Abigail had proven she was devious.

The stirring stopped and everything was still. He didn't have long to wonder why as the witch silently mouthed a single, smug word.

"Checkmate."

* * *

Abigail's head was throbbing and she had the distinct sensation of her entire world rocking every time she shifted or, actually, it was every time she breathed. She took a deep breath to quell the sickness and decided that perhaps her night of guilty pleasures – of wine and chocolate and reading material explicit enough to make even a whore blush – hadn't been such a good idea.

But the results hadn't been all bad, she decided as she cracked open her gaze slightly to find her face nestled into the nape of Lelouch's neck and her arm slung over his stomach, hand half touching flesh where his pajamas had ridden up. In fact, in her current state, she could almost forgive the _other_ arm – tipped with trashy, red-painted fingernails – that was also draped over him only a couple inches higher than hers.

Almost.

She took a deep breath, forgetting that it was a surefire way to make her nauseous, and snuggled closer to her husband. There was some reassurance in that. Whatever C.C. was, she would never be his wife. Not unless Lelouch became Emperor and decided to take another. But even then, she would still be first.

But for now, her claim on Lelouch was recognized by law. And as far as she'd been able to find out, C.C. wasn't even recognized as a citizen of the Empire. No one would have faulted her for seeing the woman deported to whatever country it was she'd come from – probably the E.U. - but . . . but C.C. had saved her life.

She'd been certain she was going to die at the hands her clearly unhinged kidnapper's barbaric device. She'd been certain that Lelouch wasn't coming for her. He'd told her he wouldn't save her to try to keep her in the capitol, and she'd disregarded his warnings and risked herself anyway. So she'd been miserably trying to prepare herself for death when C.C. had casually strolled in, gun drawn.

She'd thought it had made sense. She'd thought that the damnable woman that had weaseled her way into her husband's bed had come to finish her off personally. But it hadn't turned out anything like that.

And so now . . . now she wasn't quite sure what to do with the woman. It wasn't in her nature to give up, and by no means was she willing to relinquish her tie to Lelouch. She wasn't going to back down, even if she did owe her husband's mistress her life. But neither could she aggressively pursue the goal of being rid of the woman.

It left them in a bit of a difficult situation.

These days, for the most part, they practiced avoiding each other. Whereas before, she might have sought the annoying woman out for the sole purpose of flaunting her power and position, now she just tried now to run into her. C.C. had seemed to have been doing the same thing.

Which is why this situation was all the more bizarre. C.C. must have come in after she'd gone to bed just to cause a scene. Because surely there was no way that she'd been too drunk to notice another woman in her and her husband's bed. That was certainly impossible.

Lelouch was probably loving this – or he probably would have been if he'd been awake. Two women in the same bed and neither one had started screaming at the other yet. Though, even if she'd wanted to, she was sure that screaming right now would have split her skull. It was already throbbing enough as is.

She sighed softly. What now?

Should she silently slip out while they were both still asleep to avoid a potentially awkward situation? Why? Why should she?

She wasn't that meek.

This was her bed. Lelouch was her husband and she had every right in the world to be here. C.C., on the other hand, did not. The annoying woman was intruding on what was important, and rare, together time. And thanks to her intoxication, she'd already broken boundaries she'd never breached before.

She'd never held Lelouch this closely before. Even when she'd stayed with him on Nunnally's birthday, they hadn't cuddled his closely. Usually, she turned her back to him when she slept to prevent herself from doing exactly this. So this was exciting new territory and C.C. was ruining it with the way she was wantonly draped all over him like the harlot she was, wearing hardly anything but one of Lelouch's shirts that was barely done up.

She hated the woman and she wanted her gone. She didn't care where the woman went right now as long as it wasn't here.

How to make that happen was another story all together.

She was just considering how she could make that happen – methods varying from silently pinching her so she wouldn't wake Lelouch, and pulling her horrendous green hair – when the other woman shifted, propping herself up on an elbow before looking sleepily around the room.

Abigail gave her best, withering, 'get the hell out of my husband's bed' glare and, surprisingly enough, it worked. C.C. quietly threw back the covers and got out of the bed. Abigail watched her go, glaring the entire time while inwardly speculating on the black lace knickers the other woman was wearing.

Did she wear them because Lelouch liked them or because she herself liked them? If it was the former, perhaps she would have to look into acquiring a pair for herself.

But for right now, such inconsequential thoughts didn't bear thinking about. Because right now, she had Lelouch all to herself.

She smiled slightly and snuggled a bit closer to him, breathing in his scent as she closed her eyes again. If she fell asleep like this, with Lelouch trapped in her arms, he might not wake her up when he wanted to get up. Maybe he'd just lay here with her, like a real husband and wife should.

* * *

C.C. grinned in anticipation. She slowly but surely peeled away the packaging tape from her parcel. The contents was something she'd been eagerly waiting for. It was a limited edition plush toy, a pizza hut promo. When the package was finally unsealed, she quickly opened it and released cheese-kun from his confines. It was a momentous occasion, all the planning - all the work, came full circle. As she found the stuffed toy to be everything she imagined.

At almost half her size, it was big enough to hug yet small enough to take anywhere. It had a small but quaint looking bowler hat that hanged off its head. It had a roguish charm that she simply found adorable. Its offset orange skin, more yellow then red would gave her the eye-catching flare she desired. She silently imagined how the staff would react to her lugging it about the Villa.

She gave out a contented sigh as she held it in her arms, she'd always been a sucker for stuffed toys. Yet this one would be different. It would be a constant reminder to Lelouch, that when she wanted something, he'd better listen.

Sure, she merely took advantage of Abigail's presence - after all the woman wasn't a part of the plan. Yet when she heard her clumsily barging into the room, she did what she did best. She adapted to the situation and found herself snuggling into Lelouch. Something that the Princess quickly imitated. The woman even grabbed her hand at one point.

At the time she had two options. Disentangle herself from the married couple or stay where she was. Ultimately, she decided to stay put - to keep her cover as Lelouch's mistress or so she kept telling herself. After all, Lelouch's warmth was too great a commodity not to enjoy, not that she'd ever admit it. So, she jeopardized her plan. Instead of waiting to pounce on a waking Lelouch, she fell asleep.

It was a good thing she woke up when Lelouch was subtly moving around. If she didn't she wouldn't had the chance to coerce the Prince into expanding her pizza allowance. The whole thing was amusing of course. Who would of thought. The big bad wolf of Britannia scared of confronting his sleeping wife. It was probably the only reason Lelouch caved so quickly.

Not that Abigail was any less amusing. One caress too many caused the young woman to wake. Her code notifying her of the woman's state. Yet unexpectedly, the Princess feigned sleep as well. The awoken princess merely moved about, something which seemed to increase C.C.'s leverage tenfold. Which quickly resulted in Lelouch giving in. She repaid her unwitting help by leaving the room. It took all her willpower not to giggle as Abigail glared at her. She couldn't help it the poor woman didn't look very intimidating at all, then there was the way she starred at her clothes. It was if the Princess had never seen a button-up shirt before.

The whole event was entertaining and she managed to snag more pizza money, a win in her book. She wondered what she could do next. Taking their reactions into account. She decided that maybe, just maybe. That she had given Abigail enough space. Maybe it was time to turn her sights on her? Then again, there was always Edith.

* * *

AN: If you're looking for a good read, please try my community. I'm certain something there will catch your eye. Oh and let me know what you think about this Side story.


	2. Osaka: C1

AN: Hello everyone, this little side story will be 2-3 chapters long. It's about Osaka and the people around it, fleshing it out a little. If you were hoping for a little more comedy, wait till this side story is done, I have a couple in mind.

One more thing the Abigail scene from Checkmate was written by Allora. I was wondering if anyone noticed.

Thanks again Allora for creating the dauntless fic, this is for you - well you already knew that.

* * *

**OSAKA: Chapter one**

Kazuki Higa had a tiring day. He had just gotten off his scheduled recon duty. His post was a small cramped room in a building overlooking one of the roads above the ruined subway lines. Monitoring the road's comings and goings and taking note of anything unusual was the standing order. Unfortunately, it lacked excitement. It was the military's version of the knight police's stakeouts - at least they had donuts, all he had was coffee.

At least he was off duty now.

So after taking care of the essentials, a shower and some chow. He changed into a spare uniform and headed towards the ATTF's rec room. Well that's what they called it, but in reality the rec room was a small building dedicated to the Anti-terrorist Task Force. It was filled with all the latest bells and whistles. Only the best for his soldiers, the commander had jested.

As he stepped in no one paid him any mind. It was amazing how something so simple made him feel so good – he was just another solider instead of a Number. Sure tensions would sometimes get heated, but not for something as insignificant as what race he belonged to. It was a breath of fresh air and he was sure that his fellow non-Brits enjoyed the environment. With a smile he walked calmly towards the main lounge.

"Hey Higa!" The shout broke the private's stride halfway from his destination. A quick head turn and his gaze landed on his squad mate Samuel Barker. "The LT's looking for you, usual place he said."

If he were in any other unit he was sure that those words would make him cringe and wonder what kind of punishment or demeaning task was waiting for him, but in the Anti-terrorist Task Force his only reaction was to grin.

His platoon leader, First Lieutenant William Wilkins was a no nonsense kind of officer. When the platoon had first formed, a mix of different races and social standings of all kinds, he had singled him out – a lowly private. Not because of racial background but because of his marksman score. He turned him, or rather his score, into an example of something to strive for. Of course, he wasn't the only one singled out, but the man had made it abundantly clear then and there that no matter who or what you were, he expected you to do your job and do it well.

As he ascended a flight of stairs, he took a right and headed to the poker room. His Lt was an avid poker player, over the months the platoon had been together he had discreetly found out who was good and who wasn't. He called it a team building exercise, but in reality the poker games he hosted were as cutthroat as Knightmare frame combat.

He opened the door expecting to find a couple of tables filled with people deep into a card game. Instead he found himself being starred down by two individuals in the unmistakable garb of Prince Lelouch vi Britannia's Royal Guard. He did the only thing he could do when faced with glares from superior officers, he stood at attention.

Minutes could have passed or perhaps hours as he silently looked straight ahead. He would have stayed that way until his Lt had enough. "Oi, Higa. Sit your ass at the table."

"Yes, Sir." He replied out of reflex. He sneaked a quick, anxious glance at the group. They were no longer looking at him directly, which was a good thing for his nerves at least. That is, until his superior spoke up. "You're in the _poker room_. No regs in here, Kazuki. That means no Sirs no ranks and so forth. I like to win money, not steal it."

He merely nodded and took his seat, trying to avoid eye contact with the Wolves. Unfortunately, that wasn't a part of the itinerary.

"Kazuki, I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine." He paused, gesturing towards the captain of the Royal Guard. As if anyone in the ATTF didn't know him by now. "Hector Zimmerman. " The man gave him a polite nod with a boyish grin, as if he were silently apologizing for earlier.

"He and me go way back to basic. Good times." Will continued on. "The lug right next to him is Roy Yates." The hard faced man brushed his dreads back and responded with a polite nod. "And to you, my esteemed guests," The lieutenant paused dramatically."I present you, Kazuki Higa the man who will leave you penniless." He finished with a wave of his hand in the private's direction.

"Bold words, Will." Hector replied. "But I seem to remember you making the same boast a few years ago...And we all know how that turned out, right, Roy?"

"In case you forgot, Will, I've got three words for you." Roy said. "Desert. Latrine. Duty."

To Kazuki's surprise, his unflappable platoon leader merely grumbled in response. The two guardsmen glanced at each other before sharing a wolf-like grin, their teeth bared in a knowing, mischievous way. They looked like they were inches away from laughing, which quickly changed as soon as Will started shuffling the cards. It was if a switch had been flipped. Where there had once been faces filled with humor, there were only stoic expressions left - it was if their faces were chiseled out of stone. Faced with impeccable poker faces, Kazuki began to reevaluate his opponents.

He tried to channel his poker face, but he had trouble focusing as he realized just what exactly happened to his Lt. Even as an Honorary Britannian serving in the military, it wasn't something he had the _pleasure_ of doing yet. He was lucky, he thought, as he had only been posted to places which had functioning toilets. He mentally shivered as he thought about manually emptying each and every outhouse of a base of hundreds - in the desert. Then of course there was the disposal. If his field manual was anything to go by, it involved gathering the waste and lighting it on fire...That combined with the dry heat would turn the smell from barely bearable to gut-wrenching. It was something he hoped he would never have the privilege of doing.

The sound of cards being dealt broke him from his thoughts. He took a cursory glance at his cards, a two and a seven, unsuited. Luck didn't seem to be with him just yet. Glancing at his opponents' blank expressions staring back, he suddenly knew he was in for a long night.

* * *

Brevet Colonel James Richardson peered into the growing darkness from his office table. The slow transition from day tonight meant that the Garrison's operational tempo was beginning to slow down. Not that anyone would notice. After all, the base had been heavily reinforced. Now, thousands were housed within the perimeter, resting and preparing for the days to come.

It was a far cry from the first few days after the first Kenshiki attack. The Garrison had been mobilized at Prince Clovis's command. At the time, the order had seemed decisive - restoring law and order through frequent patrols – but that tactic had only been good on paper. The terrorists had proven to be elusive, sowing chaos with a few well placed gunshots and slipping away unseen. The sheer number of sorties that the Viceroy had wanted was demanding, it stretched units to the breaking point. Adding salt to the wound had been the Viceroy himself, complaining as if the military was at fault. In the end, the Viceroy had sent his superior back to Pendragon in disgrace, a scapegoat. Then he had reinforced the besieged city, not that it had helped

A soft knock jostled him from his thoughts, his aide entering a moment later.. "Sir, here's the daily action reports." She said, before placing a few folders on his table.

"You should probably turn in for the night, Martha. I'll be here for awhile." He responded gesturing towards the new reports.

"If you're sure, Colonel."

"Yes, I'm sure. Now go." He made a dismissing motion.

When he was sure that his aide was gone, he let out a sigh. "I swear that woman does that on purpose, it's Brevet Colonel. Brevet!" He didn't need any more reminders about how his rank was temporary. Not with the Chief General in the area.

As he slowly scanned the reports, he found himself thinking over past events and the accompanying changes.

It had all started when no replacement Commander arrived. Instead, he was left with the herculean task of organizing thousands of additional soldiers. He supposed at the time Osaka Garrison didn't rate as high as finding the former Viceroy's killer. Still, he thought that Lt. Col. Hudson should have at least have been reassigned from Tokyo to relieve him. Instead, in a series of event's he still didn't quite understand, the new Viceroy had deemed to brevet him from a mere Major to a full Colonel. Sure, it was temporary and only worked within Area Eleven, yet it didn't change the fact the he and he alone had become responsible for the Osaka Garrison – enough men and machinery to invade a small nation.

The changes didn't stop there either. Prince Lelouch was like a unrelenting tide, forever changing anything and everything he touched. As soon as he was officially appointed to Viceroy, he had given Osaka the attention it needed. As soon as he was promoted to Colonel, the Prince had immediately set to the task of reinforcing his garrison even further. Crack troops were assigned, veteran knights mobilized, but the most surprising thing was platoons of Honorary Britannians. With them had come guidelines that the Prince had expected to be followed.

Unsurprisingly, some of the army units had taken issue with being expected to stand shoulder to shoulder with Elevens. Yet it was amazing how fast a company, or even a battalion commander, would stop mid-word as soon as he uttered that the guidelines were direct orders from The Wolf. It seemed the rumors from Tokyo had...

His mind stopped in its tracks. His eyes hurriedly scanned the report in front of him. Word after word flew past him almost in a blur. Then the significance hit home.

"This may be exactly what Hopkins's was looking for." He muttered as he excitedly proceeded to ring the commander's office.

* * *

Hands were played. Blinds increased. Still no-one had the clear advantage. The whole game seesawed back and forth as one person or another would win they would shortly lose. Everyone chatted about this or that, all-in-all nothing too important.

When Kazuki lost another hand, he noticed Hector had been talking more and more the last few hands. Most likely because he had won three consecutive times. He thought he had loosened up, so he let out a sigh and discretely glanced around until he locked eyes with his commanding officer. He quickly scratched behind his right ear and gave him a sheepish grin as if to say 'it's not my night'.

Shortly after, while the cards were being shuffled, Will broke the idle chatter. "So Hector, what really happened in Eighteen?"

Hector merely responded with a curious glance in the infantryman's direction.

"You know, about our Viceroy. All those tabloids about you guys taking out that fortress. I mean how did it really happen?" Wilken's continued on while he placed chips in the pot.

"I don't know, Will. It's not like it's top secret but my Prince likes his secrets." Hector replied.

"Come on! It's not like I'm asking for Imperial secrets." Wilken's said. "I'm just wondering how it went down. It's the story of the ages! Six Knights toppled a fortress. Please don't leave me curious. You know how I get when I get curious." He finished with a knowing, yet cheerful tone.

Moments passed as the old friends starred at each other. The game momentarily forgotten in favor of a silent staring match. Each side waiting patiently for the other to talk. That is, until Roy bluntly slammed his right hand on the table jostling his chips in the process. It got the job done, cutting the tension like a hot knife through butter.

"We're here to play cards. " Roy said as he looked right then left, staring down his friends one at a time. "And for God sakes, Hector, tell him what happened. Everyone knows a version of it by now. I don't want to hear Will ask the question every other minute. Come on, you remember how he gets."

Hector frowned slightly before silently nodding, giving in to the inevitable. "It all started when the Prince took command of our squad." He paused briefly as he dealt the cards. "At the start we were _delegated _to patrol a stretch of desert, it was so far from the front that we didn't see action for more awhile."

"It was boring as hell." Roy interrupted.

Hector nodded as he continued on. "That all changed when they tried to kidnap the Prince..."

Kazuki took a quick peek at his hand. It wasn't a particular good hand and he had to wait a little longer, so he folded. It gave him less to think about as he focused intently on the tale being told. As the captain continued his tale he found himself in slight awe as he heard how Prince Lelouch had single handily held his own against his would be kidnappers. Sure, he only had the simulators to base his experience on but taking out faster opponents was no easy task.

As the tale continued, Kazuki felt a little shell-shocked. He knew that Prince Lelouch was giving a chance to Elevens like him - that they had been given a chance to prove themselves – but as he listened in he found himself surprised. Prince Lelouch, had stood up to the Chief General - his own sister and a superior officer – over a mere Number.

It only confirmed that the Viceroy was certainly a far cry from other nobles. It also threw Kondo-san's theory about Eleven favoritism out the window. As the captain continued to spin his tale, he found himself painting the new Viceroy in a different light - a bit brighter then he'd first assumed. Nonetheless, he definitely liked what he was hearing

There was a brief lull in the tale as Roy won a moderate pot, his highest so far. After sending a wry smile towards his fellow Wolf, Hector continued.

"As I was saying, the Prince quickly deduced that our com's were breached. With that new information the Chief General ordered a withdrawal. That was the end of our first fortress operation." Hector paused momentarily glancing around the table. "Personally, I think we got off lucky. We could have lost a lot of people but we didn't, all thanks to my Prince. " He finished solemnly.

Hector continued on about how the traitor was discovered but it was a mere footnote in the whole tale. Shortly after, the captain paused his tale and explained that he couldn't talk about what happened next, no matter how much the Lt asked. But even though a part of the tale was being omitted, like a master story teller Hector Zimmerman painted a picture of the after effects on the one single detail he did mention.

Prince Lelouch had let civilians go. Where to, he didn't exactly say, but the point was made.

"So there we were, our moral at a all time low. To add insult to the injury we were relegated back to patrolling. A few days passed, then the Prince apologized before each of us. But that was only the tip of the iceberg." Hector paused dramatically eyeing Will and Kazuki for a few moments. "The prince stood confidently with that cocky smirk of his plastered on his face before boldly declaring that he would bring the war to a swift end. He called upon us as soldiers to serve a Prince of the Empire. At the time, I'm sure everyone had their doubts, but regardless one by one we agreed to follow him."

"You followed him just like that?" Will pondered with a raised eyebrow.

With a confident nod, Hector answered. "Yes, just like that." It would have been reassuring too if Roy didn't say that exact opposite at the same time.

"Don't get me wrong, the prince just got us stuck back on patrol duty. I was afraid he'd lead us to our deaths, but when everyone else signed on I couldn't just turn my back on them, Will." Roy answered.

"But what I don't get, Hector, Roy." Will responded. "Is what made you follow him in the first place? Does the Viceroy have something special? He must have. We've had our share of pompous noble born commanders in the infantry. How is he different?"

"Ok, let's take Princess Cornelia for example, everyone knows her very presence speaks of rank and nobility, of experience and privilege." Hector said. "Sure she's the Empire's Goddess of Victory, but why did we follow her? Simple - it was our duty. She was our commanding officer. When she went into battle she made us, her command, think we would win because she was on the battlefield. For that she had our loyalty."

"Ya, but the prince is different." Kazuki paused, as all eyes focused on him for the first time. "Prince Lelouch makes us believe we can achieve anything, no matter where we come from. Not just because he needs us to but because he truly believes that we can do it. and he'll be up there in the front, daring each and every one of us to do it with him."

"I may be speaking out of turn, so I apologize." Kazuki said as he looked around, waiting for someone to speak up. Instead he found his superiors waiting for him to continue. Which was a very strange thing. Something that wouldn't have happened during Prince Clovis's time.

"I hardly Know Prince Lelouch, but I believe his actions speak for him. Just look at the task force's first operation, when we provided cover for his Highness. I don't know what it meant for the others. But for me, it told me that the Prince trusted us to keep him safe. He trusted us to do our jobs, to keep him out of harm's way while he did his duty. "

"I couldn't have said it better, Kazuki." The blonde haired captain replied. "Let me add something. My Prince is slightly different. He loves the men he commands, each and every one of us, and he has more morals then some other officers I've served under."

After a short break, as Roy started dealing the cards out, the Lt looked at him and subtly nodded before asking the Wolves. "So, what's the deal with the green haired vixen in the Prince's entourage? I mean, did you see her in that bikini? I mean wow..."

As his commanding officer chatted the Wolves up, he took a glance at his hand. He couldn't help feel the tables turning – money was money after all.

* * *

Adrian Hopkins had been flipping through intelligence reports when he got the call. Bvt Colonel James Richardson had sounded his usual sober self, yet there was a hint of something more in his voice, a soft timber that almost sounded like _excitement_. That's why he found himself navigating through corridor after corridor a little past ten in the evening.

His destination was an underground bunker. It held the honor of being the most secure part of the garrison. The bunker contained a meeting room with all the latest anti-monitoring gadgets. Yet for all its security, it had the nerve to be placed on the opposite side of the base from his office. He only hoped the journey was worth it.

As he passed the increased number of sentries, he couldn't help but be slightly impressed by the base commander. In the wake of the infamous Knightmare heist he had half expected the military administrator to panic at the thought of Knightmares assaulting his command. Yet he'd done the exact opposite, speedily and decisively giving new orders. The changes were immediately felt. Added security, patrols and perimeter guards alike adding anti-Knightmare weapons to their arsenals. He had also employed the utmost stringent protocols to handle sensitive Intel.

After Adrian had passed countless concrete corridors, he was finally closing on his destination. His eyes had spotted an armed corporal guarding the door. He was eagle faced and looked his direction, like a dog eyeing a bone. As he approached the corporal's face didn't move an inch. That is until he was twenty paces away.

"Sir, Identify yourself."

"Captain Hopkins, Commander ATTF." He responded, mildly irritated that there was a sentry even down here. As if the scores of guards leading to this point weren't enough.

At the Corporals nod, he approached, his face a mask of quiet indignation. When he was finally five paces away. The poker-faced soldier frowned for a brief moment.

"I'm sorry sir, just following orders. You're expected. The Colonel has me keeping watch for anyone that comes down here."

"It's alright. Orders are orders after all." He conceded.

With another nod the corporal opened the door for him.

"Hopkins, about time you got here." The colonel greeted him, as if he didn't have some secret passage way to get down here.

"It was a long walk, sir."

Col. Richardson only smiled and gestured towards a seat. As he moved towards a seat, he noticed a extremely detailed map of the city on the table. Large swathes of it where shaded blue with red pins scattered throughout. There were also four distinct 'x' marks on the map.

"I see you've noticed my little project there." James said. "Now, at the last operational meeting we had, you mentioned the bulk of the Kenshiki were hunkered down in the abandoned subway lines. Notice them on the map, they're shaded red. Those Kenshiki strong points are a ways off from our encirclement and safe zones, they're the blue on the map."

"Yes sir, This looks like a nice scale model of the city." He responded while he hoped that this wasn't why he'd been called down here.

"Also at the last meeting you said you were looking for something. I believe, with these action reports and your help, we can find where that something might be." He finished seriously.

* * *

Hector couldn't believe it. He considered himself a fair hand at poker, yet for all his experience he found himself in possession of a rapidly depleting stack of chips. He mentally berated himself for not bringing more money. The poker room's bank didn't take credit or iou's so as soon as his chips were gone he would be out of the game.

Roy had fared little better, with slightly less then he started out with. Will's stack was almost as short as his. Then there was Private Kazuki Higa, and he took the cake. Kazuki's play style had changed suddenly and without warning – as if a switch had been flipped.

Gone was the mild mannered player who only played every few hands. In his place was a gambling devil who seemed to know when and when not to pressure his opponents. The private was playing aggressively, playing most of his hands and winning spectacularly.

As Will won a hand. He found himself wondering when his luck would turn.

"So, how's that little brother of yours, Hector." His old friend asked whilst dealing the cards.

"He's good, Will. Getting a little stir crazy the last time I called, but what can you expect. He's Lukas." He managed to say normally as he contained his excitement. He'd managed to nab a good hand, a king and a queen suited.

After an aggressive early raise by Kazuki, he found himself thinking, the flop had yet to come. Yet, for some reason he had a very good feeling. Roy had proven earlier that Kazuki didn't always have the best hand yet he still played aggressively. Hopefully, this time, he would come out on top as well.

"I call." Hector said, and just like that he found one quarter of his remaining chips dropped into the pot.

"Well, I fold. You guys can duke it out." Will said with a slight frown.

"I'm in, and I call." Roy grinned as he played with his chips.

Then the flop came.

A king, a eight and a queen. Hector had two pairs. He was suddenly ecstatic. With this he could win. It was far from assured yet the chances were on his side, he decided to slow play it...now all he had to do...

"I'm all in." Higa said his face mask of non-emotion breaking the captain's thought processes. It was as if his face was chiseled out of rock, uncaring and unmoving towards anything and everything around it. Unfortunately, it betrayed nothing of the private's intentions.

Hector couldn't help but pause at the large amount of chips being drawn forward. Roy didn't even wait for his turn and tossed his hand away. Now, it all came down to one thing. Was the Private bluffing?

It was such a hard task figuring out if someone was bluffing. It was even harder when Higa stared passively at him - silently waiting. Hector licked his lips as he gazed at the flop again, mentally calculating his odds.

At this point, Hector figured only a few hands could beat him. The chance that Kazuki's hand was better was highly unlikely but still possible. Thus armed with added confidence, he started back at the Eleven and smiled.

"Kazuki, I could call, but even if I did and win, I wouldn't even put a dent in that pile of yours." Hector said. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in a side bet or collateral?"

"Huh?" The private's mask momentarily shattered at Hector's question. Not that he was alone. His old friends Roy and Will looked on curiously.

"Well, I have this watch here." Hector paused as he showcased his watch. "It's an infantryman's dream, filled with everything you need for the field. It's certainly worth half the chips in the pot. So what do you say?"

For a moment, it looked like it would work. The private's face scrunched up as if he were deep in thought. As if he was considering it. Then suddenly, Kazuki's eyes snapped up to meet his. "No."

The reply was sudden yet so final that Hector couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"But." And with one word the Captain of the so called Wolf Pack had his hopes raised.

"I don't want your watch, Sir." Kazuki said, addressing Hector, not as two poker players in the middle of a game but as a soldier addressing a superior. "But if you're willing to give me four Knightmare lessons in the simulator, I think that's worth half of my chips."

Hector just stared at him a little dumbfounded, with his mouth slightly agape. "You want KMF lessons?" He stammered, not quite believing his ears.

"You do realize, Higa." Will cut in. "That there's no guarantee that the Viceroy will start up the program again, right?"

Kazuki spared a quick glance at his commanding officer before soberly nodding.

"Since, you're dead set on doing this, Kazuki, I should point out that four lessons from a pilot of Hector's caliber is worth at least all of your chips.." Roy haggled.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Hector said. "I haven't even decided if I want to give simulator lessons. Before I decide, Kazuki, why don't you tell me why you want lessons. Make it good, Hopkin's may vouch for you, Will may vouch for you but you need to convince me. "

"Sir," Kazuki paused carefully choosing his words. "It's true, I may never be given the chance to pilot a Knightmare, but I can hope. I can hope that the Viceroy will give us a chance. The possibility may be slim, but if that chance comes along, I want to be able to grasp it with my two hands so I can serve the Prince well. Because the Prince is a man capable of changing this area for the betterment of all."

"So what do you think, Hector? You going to give the kid some lessons?" Roy teased.

A moment passed in eerie silence, everyone waiting for the Captain's response.

"Fine, half your chips for two lessons when you're off duty." Hector managed to say.

"No, three lessons and you bet the remainder of your chips." The Private managed to snap back after a heartbeat.

"Two lessons in the Royal Guard's simulators." Hector fired back just as quickly.

"Three and another couple hundred in chips." The young Japanese man haggled back.

"Two lessons and simulator time with Roy here." Hector replied.

Not even slowing down to respond to the man's indignant shout, Private Higa, started playing with some left over chips in front of him. The soft clang of chip on chip broke the haggling just for a few moments.

"All of my remaining chips for six lessons." Kazuki finalized.

Hector paused momentarily to ponder the deal in front of him. The money being discussed was at least a few months salary for an Honorary Britannian serving in the military, yet Kazuki didn't seem to care at all. Was he that confident in his hand? No, the probability of winning was with him. Only pocket eights could beat him right now. Still, he didn't want to lose at haggling.

"Five lessons." Hector finally managed to say.

"Deal." The private responded a moment later.

"I would have settled for six, not that you're going to win." Hector admitted after a quick handshake.

"I would have settled for one, sir." Kazuki replied with an ear to ear grin.

"He got you there, Hector." Will teased. "Now, why don't you put your chips in the pot so Roy can show us the turn."

"Don't forget to show us the cards." Roy cut in.

Hector was confident so as soon as he put his chips in the pot that was soon to be his, he flipped his cards over. "King and a Queen." He boasted as he observed the Private. To his dismay the Eleven didn't seem to be fazed at all, and suddenly he blood ran cold.

Kazuki didn't waste time as he flipped his hand over, revealing pocket eights to the table. The kid had three Eights. He had a three of a kind. He couldn't help but glance at his old friends. Will was grinning, rooting for his trooper, while Roy was trying in vain to hold his laughter down.

Then the turn came.

"Yes." He managed to whisper, as he towered over the table. He didn't know when he stood up but he was standing nonetheless as he admired the newly added queen, giving him a full house. He looked towards the Private to gauge his reaction and for the first time tonight it seemed that the nearly impenetrable mask he wore had cracked, as he was openly frowning and looking like a kicked his puppy.

Then a few second later, the turn came. With it, his sudden burst of energy died a swift death as the hardened military veteran felt all the hope drain from his body.

Another eight joined it's fellow on the table. He had lost...

* * *

"So, I think this is all we've got." Adrian Hopkins muttered tiredly.

"I think you're right, Adrian. Hell, it's a lot more then we had yesterday... hopefully we'll get more intel soon." Colonel James Richardson chipped in. "We're only lucky that the Viceroy decided to send us all those Honorary Britannian units. Your suggestion to embed a few trustworthy individuals as intelligence assets was right on the money."

"Oh, no you don't, Colonel." The Captain replied with a smile. "There's no way you're pinning this on me. You're the one who took it one step further by having units in civilian dress, units that have had the honor of tailing _suspicious_ individuals. Lucky for us, the Kenshiki aren't all that subtle when they case their targets, sir."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Adrian." James said. "It's James when we're alone. Unlike me, your promotion to Captain was permanent. When this is all over, I'll be little old Major again."

"I'm sorry, habits are hard to break. " He replied with a quick glance at the wall clock. "It's getting late. You have your share of relevant reports, I have mine. I say we start tracing the paths and hope they intersect somewhere."

It had taken them a little more than an hour to trace most of the routes. It didn't add much to the huge display of the city of Osaka that was filled with massive amounts of blue and red. The routes were represented with orange lines that twisted and turned from street to street. Unfortunately a good portion of them lead to an abandoned subway rail or an underground junction, bearing the information irrelevant to their purposes. Those that didn't ended in various parts of the city – none even remotely close to another. All together the intelligence value was meager at best and surely nothing to act on.

"We certainly aren't going to find what we're looking for with this, James." Adrian said. "It's either they have multiple safe houses to use as meeting points or their planning is a little more sophisticated than we thought.

"Patience, Hopkins. I still have three reports over here and you should have at least one. If none of em get us anywhere, there'll be other days." The Colonel replied as he continued to plot a path through the city.

* * *

Adrian had just finished his last report. With it, all of the spy-work done in the last few weeks was represented on the table.

"I might as well get a head start." He muttered to himself, the surprisingly agile Colonel had finished his reports before him and had opted to take a cigar break in the evening breeze.

Now, came the hard part - analyzing the data. Normally an army of military analysts would have been responsible for finding relevant data. Unfortunately, due to the strict protocols the base commander implemented the army and the citizens of Osaka had to make do with him.

So he stared stoically at the plot as if it were an exotic supermodel. He gazed slowly around it, noticing the hues of colors as if they were luscious curves to be admired. He traced the bright orange lines, hoping to find an ounce of insight. He gazed and he gazed until finally the colonel returned.

He sparred only a slight nod at his superior before he returned his gaze once more .

There was nothing - all that the map represented was wasted man hours. Yet still his gut told him otherwise - like a sixth sense - telling him he'd missed something. But what? The closest thing they had to something concrete was two parallel lines eight kilometers apart. They represented a pair of not-so-subtle Eleven's, that seemed to have surveyed a safe zone perimeter. The trails ended in near adjacent ghettos, the Honorary Britannians having lost sight of their marks. Still the intel was actionable, in the way that it narrowed the search corridor.

"Too bad we can't narrow it down further, it's going to be difficult finding potential targets in such a big area." He grimaced.

"Targets are one thing, but it doesn't look like we're going to find a Kenshiki lieutenant anytime soon." The Colonel said. "Besides I don't think the Viceroy actually expects us to succeed in getting a high value target."

"He might not, but it's still our duty to try." Adrian said as he absent mildly scratched his chin. "If only we could narrow it down further. It's a lot of ground to cover. Even with the constant stream of men the ATTF has been getting I only have less than a hundred infantry. That's bound to leave big wide gaps in our surveillance net."

"I'll try to discreetly shift patrols that way. Every little bit helps, right?"

"Patrols in the area could help, but then again it could hurt too. We just don't know how they'd respond, James." Adrian said. "If we're lucky a patrol could panic them and we'd be able to see some movement. But with the luck we've been having the more likely outcome would be they'd hunker down and hide."

"The cowards have been raiding warehouses around the safe zones, They've been getting bolder. so I'm not quite sure they'd just hide. Then again, according to all the after action reports, they've been raiding us with numbers not to mention the element of surprise. I mean – "

"What did you just say?" Adrian cut-in wide-eyed. Then he caught the Colonel's incredulous look at the lack of decorum at having cut off a superior officer. "What I mean to say, sir. Is did you just say after-action reports?"

"Yes?" Colonel Richardson replied questioningly.

"They're standard reports, with enemies last heading and estimated speed?"

The Colonel nodded as if he knew what Adrian was alluding too.

"Can I see them, sir? All of them?"

"You should have been getting them, Adrian. They should have been forwarded to you..." The Colonel paused as if he was hit with sudden realization. "Damn, security protocols." He finally muttered.

"I know it's a long shot, sir, but maybe we can narrow it down the area some more."

After a quick glance at his wrist watch the Colonel nodded. "Let's be about it then, Captain."

* * *

"I thought they'd never leave." Will Wilkins muttered softly.

Kazuki nodded in silence. The Wolves had just left moments before. They had taken a sound beating and had politely helped straighten out the room, a little. So that's how he found himself ensuring all the chips were stored and the chairs tucked in neatly. After all, military discipline demanded that the room be spotless. As he finished up - he noticed his Lt take a peek outside.

"It's clear," Will said, after a quick look. "You did a good job, Higa. The Wolves didn't know what hit them!"

"Thank you, sir. Growing up with Marquis Hartfield wasn't all sunshine and daises, but it did have some benefits." Kazuki grinned.

"Nonetheless, You got Hector to talk! That stalemate worked like a charm. Of course, I had my doubts - you don't know those two rascals like I do. . . Hell, I didn't think we'd be able to get him to talk, and certainly not about the Viceroy." Will said like he couldn't quite believe the night's events.

"Helping you was a honor, Lt. Though I don't know why you went to all this trouble. . ." Kazuki responded.

For a split-second the first Lieutenant frowned in response. The emotion was nearly unreadable, yet Kazuki couldn't help but feel that the platoon leader was disappointed. Then again - the frown, could have meant anything. If he were a betting man, his second bet would have been due to the stack of bill's that he had unceremoniously stuffed into his wallet, his platoon leader had also_generously_ donated to the Higa allowance fund.

Another moment passed, then suddenly the big infantry officer grinned mischievously. "Kazuki, Kazuki." Will said conspiratorially as he approached closer. "Now I find as a combat hardened an experienced officer, it's my duty to enlighten the men below me. Now, just for a second - think if it's worth the trouble?" The Lt paused as he gauged the privates reaction, all the while glaring in a 'don't you dare talk' kind of way. "We're a special unit handpicked by the Viceroy, Higa. . . _Hand . . . Picked_. That means we get all the _special_ jobs. Now ask yourself - why would it be important to know our Viceroy even a little bit more?"

Kazuki paused and concentrated his thoughts inward. He considered himself a smart man, still for all his self-acclaimed smarts he didn't even consider what Lt. Wilkins was alluding to before tonight. He simply didn't think the Viceroy was capable of anything nefarious. Perhaps he was naive, but he wanted to believe in the change that the Prince of Britannia was bringing to Area Eleven.

"Prince Lelouch may have proven that he is capable of leading a small strike team." Will continued. "He may even be able to command huge armies. At the end of the day though, what kind of ruler is he? We all heard the rumors about Prince Clovis and Honorary Britannians disappearing in covert ops. What you don't know is that I've seen worse than the occasional soldier disappearing. Area Thirteen wasn't pretty. But with this Viceroy, we may be able to breathe a little easier and not worry about getting knifed in the back or, even worse, suicide missions.

"I'm really thankful for everything Prince Lelouch has done for me and the other Numbers, but have you heard the rumors about Shinjuku? With all due respect, sir, you aren't giving the Viceroy the credit he deserves. I think his actions speak for him and because of that he is someone I would gladly die for."

"Kazuki, as long as you're in my platoon, you're my soldier - my responsibility. You die when I tell you to, not before, not after. Do you understand?" Will said authoritatively "Even with Commander Hopkins's having you earmarked with your own special intelligence mission, I'd like to use your skills as much as I can, Private. In any way you can."

"Like winning poker games, sir?" He grinned.

"Ya, like winning poker games." The tenor absently replied. Wilkin's had caught on a second-too-late and his expression showed his indignation. "You're lucky we're in the poker room, Private."

Kazuki couldn't help but smile. If he were anywhere else, he knew his actions bordered on fraternization. Yet he couldn't help but feel pleased. He was a mere Private, the lowest man on the totem pole. Even if it was only in the small confines of the poker room where regulations were put aside, he'd never expected to be treated like this - like an equal.

"Good thing we're in the poker room then, _sir"_

"Don't make me give you cleaning duty, Private. " He replied as he surveyed the room. "The room looks neat enough, let's call it a night.

* * *

AN: So what did you think? Leave a review to discuss, it motivates me to write faster believe it or not. And please if you have anything constructive to say, please say it. I Appreciate any and all feed back.

If you're looking for a good read please take a look at my community. Till next time.


	3. Osaka: C2

AN: I Initially planned to post both remaining chapters on the same day, but I'm experiencing some burn out (Allora is a slave driver) I'm sure this chapter may leave you with some questions and I'd like to say they'll be answered in due time. The next chapter is almost half done, so once I get inspired it shouldn't take long.

As always Feedback is appreciated.

Oh and thanks to my Beta you know who you are.

* * *

**Osaka: Chapter Two**

"Take a seat, people. I'll begin the briefing in just a second." Adrian said to his assembled infantry officers.

As he shuffled and organized his papers, he slowly scanned the room, ensuring that everyone was seated and accounted for. The constant tempo of the past few days had battered his men and it showed on their weary faces. But there was still plenty of fire left in them, fire just waiting to be unleashed.

"For the last two weeks, we have had the pleasure of helping the Viceroy's Royal Guard." Adrian started off. "We've done our mission well. Captain Zimmerman sends us his regards and compliments." Adrian paused, noting the emotions and expressions of each and every one of his commanders. The smug satisfaction of a job well done showed on many of his officers, which was natural. The ATTF had improved a great deal in two weeks of constant operation. Yet some seemed wary still, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"The time we spent with Captain Zimmerman was well spent. Our newly minted NCO's, together with the replacements from Tokyo, are holding together and finally operating like a well oiled machine. Feel free to pat yourselves on the back, but don't forget your evaluations. I need that paperwork." Adrian paused. He could almost see the invisible force that rippled through the room, weighing down his officers at the mere mention of more paperwork.

"As much as I'd like to slow the tempo down, I can't. We have a new mission, Operation _Moonlight._ And like the past two weeks, it'll be the infantry, not our massive Knightmares, that will be the major players. You will be our linchpin. Without you there is no hope of success." Adrian said, his passive gaze surveying his officers, gauging their reactions to this particular detail. He found what he expected - a little excitement and a little dread. It showed on their faces. But as quickly as the expressions appeared, they disappeared behind the masks of detached professionalism.

"Excuse me, Sir." First Lieutenant Wilkins raised his hand.

"Alright, Will. What is it?"

"I'm concerned that we may be driving our troops to hard. They've been constantly training and acting as Captain Zimmerman's raiding force. I'm worried about fatigue. I don't want my men falling apart in the field, Sir."

Adrian couldn't help but stare at the platoon leader for a brief moment. Wilkin's was a good officer, but like most good officers, he had his quirks. So he didn't know why he was still surprised, when, like all other briefings, the Lt jumped the gun and asked his questions. Sure, the questions were valid, but just once he'd like to finish a briefing without him speaking. He knew that was unlikely. He had read the Lieutenant's personnel jacket and he had more of a chance to get a supermodel for a wife. And considering his looks - that was saying something.

"If you'd let me finish, Lt Wilkins, you'd have known that I intend to deploy our troops in shifts." Adrian berated calmly. "Now, can if I continue without interruptions. Leave the questions till last. And yes, Will, that includes you - keep the curiosity in check. That's an order."

Adrian listened to the laughter that erupted for a few heartbeats then he raised his hand, motioning for silence. "We, and by we, I mean the ATTF, have reliable intel." Adrian paused as he turned on the conference table's main plot - showcasing a portion of Osaka. "This is our target area. I've personally spent days narrowing it down. Now, if you would look at point Alpha you can see . . . "

* * *

Kazuki Higa was slowly trudging back towards his barracks. It was late and he had just finished a couple rounds with the Viceroy's Royal Guard. His body ached as it recalled the severe turbulence it had been subjected to as his simulated Southerland was tossed around. Apparently, Captain Zimmerman explained, pilots needed to know how it felt to get hit and knocked around so they wouldn't panic in combat. But he had a sneaking suspicion that it was all part of revenge ploy as Roy and various members of the Royal Guard trashed him and his simulated squad. Repeatedly.

The whole experience was surreal. Simulated or not, he was putting up steady resistance against the area's best Knights. He had yet to come close to completing a simulated objective, but his piloting skills were improving by leaps and bounds. He was confident that whenever Prince Lelouch decided to make the call for pilots that he'd qualify. Though it would probably take a while for that call to be made.

He was about halfway to his bunk, when he heard a fast gait approaching him. He couldn't quite make out the figure steadily approaching him. He only had moon light to illuminate the area and it was if the shadows themselves danced around the approaching figure - fleeing and bending in ways that seemed unnatural. He stopped and tensed when the figure was a few meters away at the distance he should have been able to discern at least some features. Yet he hadn't, and that worried him.

"Hello." He muttered and waved at the approaching figure.

He wasn't the superstitious sort but when the oncoming phantom failed to respond, he began to worry. Stories about a dark shadowy figure that haunted the garrison had, of course, circulated around the base. He had never put much stock into those stories. Until now. He could feel his heartbeat increase with every footfall the figure made. A moment later, whether by fear or panic he did not know, he swung his head in every direction trying to find another soul nearby. But to his dismay, he was alone.

He stared at the oncoming intruder, as if it were a shadowy locomotive slowly chugging its way towards him, telling him to be patient - it was almost there. The shadows danced once more, as the figure slowed down. Suddenly, the cloud cover above blocked the moonlight, enshrouding him and it in darkness. He could feel the person slowing until it was just a few short feet from him.

"Corporal Kazuki Higa?" It asked in a deep and rumbling voice.

"Yes?" He swallowed before he answered as normally as possible considering the situation.

The specter in front of him inched closer. He tensed, mentally preparing to defend himself. Then suddenly the moonlight shined once more. The soldier was your usual Caucasian; fair skinned, brown eyes and long light hair. How could he have confused this human being with the rumored ghost that lurked around the base? He didn't know.

"Here, Corporal. Priority message for you." The private said as he handed Kazuki a small sealed envelope.

"Thanks."

He briefly examined the sealed envelope, noting that it didn't have any markings what-so-ever. "Who did you say this was from, Private?" He asked as he opened the seal. He scanned the contents, it was difficult to read with the minimal lighting.

_"Come see me - Lieutenant Wilkins"_

"Private?" He asked out loud.

He felt a sudden chill as he glanced around, looking for any sign of the wayward messenger. After a quick but thorough search of his surroundings, he found nothing. It was like the old cliché of the man who disappeared into thin air.

He tried to logically explain why he didn't hear any footsteps, but all too soon he gave up. "This is creepy." He muttered to himself as he hurriedly headed towards the officer quarters.

* * *

Hector had been writing reports for the past fifteen minutes. It was a tiring endeavor. Lelouch had never told him being the captain of his guard would require so much paperwork. It seemed that the army ran on paperwork, every little thing needed a form of some kind, signed in triplicate and sent back and forth between various offices at least once. An ace of the Knightmare Corps reduced to a paper-pusher. Rank had it privileges, but it also seemed to come with a whole host of heavier responsibilities. Not that he minded, but he'd still think about getting an aide the next time the prince detached his guard.

A quick knock jostled him from his thoughts. A short exhale later, and Roy barged through the door. He quickly handed him a chilled bottle. "A beer?" He asked, quirking his eyebrow.

"We're celebrating, even if it's just one."

"We're on supposed to be on standby in case they need us, Roy."

"It's just one. Besides, it's a _light_ beer. Don't you want it? After this little operation we've had? I know you hated it. At least we're only taking them for a little while, those poor bastards. Besides, I hear rank has its privileges, Captain"

"I do hope it's only a little while." He said as he gave in and twisted the cap off. "I can see why Lelouch would want them, logically at least. But as much as I trust him, sometimes he can be a little scary. I don't like the fact we're stooping to taking civilian hostages, but I know he has a plan. I just hope it doesn't turn out like Thirteen."

"Aren't you forgetting a little desert convoy full of civilians?" Roy asked between sips.

"Yes, but they blew up his school, Roy. Lelouch has blood in his eyes, I can feel it. But we chose to serve him, and his word is law. Still, I think I'll ask him once we're back in Tokyo." Hector responded, then shrugged off his serious mood. "Oh, and First Lieutenant Yates, I do hope that's your only one. You're on standby too."

"Sure, sure. Nurse the beer, gotcha, Captain, Sir." He responded teasingly. "So, since I'm rationed to a single beer, do you need any help with that paperwork?"

Hector couldn't help but stare at his longtime friend as if he had grown another head. Roy never volunteered for more work, and most especially not paperwork. "You actually want to help?" He said in disbelief.

"Ya sure, that a problem, Hector?"

"Who are you and what have you done with Roy?" He asked in mock-seriousness.

"What? You've been working your ass off here every day, yet you don't ask any of us to help you out with that." Roy pointed to the stack of papers he needed to go through.

Hector raised his eyebrow skeptically. His silence spoke volumes. A minute had gone by when Roy finally sighed. "It's the kid. He gets off duty, or whatever they have him doing, and the first thing he does is check in with you. He runs on little sleep to train on something that he'll probably never get a chance to use. He has nothing - yet he's trying his best to improve. In short, I'm a little ashamed that I haven't been helping more. There happy?"

"You should really stop calling him a kid. He's a corporal now - something you and me were not too long ago. He runs his own little infantry element from what Will tells me." Hector replied. "In fact, his personnel jacket is somewhere around here. Why don't you give him a evaluation? I'm going to attach it as 'special training'."

"Oh?" Roy asked with a grin. " You have his personnel jacket? Anything interesting in there? Maybe I should take a peek."

"Don't bother, Roy." Hector said. "But, it would appear that someone pulled a string or two to get him some extra training. A Marquis Hartfield, in fact."

"Marquis Hartfield? Why would a member of the peerage - a precious blueblood - be pulling strings for an Eleven? And why does that name sound familiar." Roy thought out loud as he glanced around. Hector merely continued his paperwork, waiting for his old friend to connect the dots.

"Isn't that the name of the noble, that used to own Lelouch's place?" He said a few minutes later.

"Ah, so you dodo your homework, Roy. That's nice to know. "

"Hey what do you mean - "

"Turns out Higa's mom was a maid for old Hartfield and lived on his estate. I don't think Kazuki knows about the string pulling though - or he doesn't act like it. You'd have to look through a magnifying glass to find the subtle clues. And that leaves all kinds of possibilities"

"You thinks he's Hartfield's bastard?"

"Highly unlikely. He was born pre-invasion, but his mother is still in the Marquis's employ." Hector said. "But that's enough speculation about Higa, it's getting late. You still up for helping me?"

"Ya sure-" As soon as the words left Roy's lips, Hector was up and, with the catlike grace, he quickly dropped a huge stack of paperwork on his lap. The shock of the impact hit the Lieutenant like a gunshot.

"There, that should keep you busy." Hector said slyly as he stepped out of the office.

* * *

"Hey Higa!" William Wilkins called out.

Kazuki snapped his head towards the voice. He had only just arrived at the rec room. –But he had walked there in record time. It had everything to do with the urgency of the message and nothing to do with his brief, eerie encounter with the messenger. Or so he told himself.

As he walked closer to his commanding officer, he couldn't quite help but bask in the presence of other people. He was halfway through the motions of saluting when he mentally stopped himself, salutes were frowned upon in this establishment. Instead, he settled for a discreet nod. "Sir."

"Just in time, was about to hit the bunk. I've wanted to talk to you, though. You got a minute?" Will asked.

"Of course, Sir." He responded calmly, as if he hadn't received a message via runner.

"There's going to be a task-force-wide briefing tomorrow, at oh-eight-hundred. It looks like we have a new operation." The Lieutenant said. "That's not news, this op has been brewing for awhile, but another batch of replacements arrived earlier. And since you're one of my more competent Corporals, I'm adding two more men to your fire team. We're going to be spread pretty thin, Kazuki - keep the fresh meat in line and don't let them be trouble."

"Can do, sir." He replied automatically.

"Great." He replied as he strolled past him. "Lucky you came in when you did, Higa. I was about to head to bed. You must have read my mind. Didn't plan on talking to you till tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir. Just lucky, Sir." He replied weakly as he felt his whole body freeze at the implication.

Kazuki never noticed the slight grin on his superior's face.

* * *

Kazuki and his team had been camped out on the top floor of a medium sized office building for days now. This whole military operation was a return to their usual duties - survey and report. Only this time, the task force was spread out along a smaller area. The work was boring, but at least this time they were well provisioned. Someone had even brought donuts. It felt like one of those stakeouts in a police movie.

But there was only one big difference; nothing seemed to happen. Boredom had set in quickly. It was shift after shift of watching foot traffic and listening to occasional radio chatter. He almost preferred Captain Zimmerman's operation. Not that he had liked detaining innocent civilians more, it was just that stakeouts weren't all that exciting - especially when they were looking for a needle in a haystack.

"There she is again." Specialist Jimmy Evans said wistfully.

"Did you hear that, Higa. Jim-boy there is ogling that Eleven again." His other team mate, Andrew O'Malley said.

"There's nothing wrong with that, O'Malley." Kazuki replied quickly. "If he wasn't on duty of course! You're supposed to be on the lookout for terrorists, Jimmy. Not a piece of tail."

"Sorry, Corporal! Couldn't help it. She visits the food center every day and, well, she's hot." Jimmy admitted, his voice hued with embarrassment.

He couldn't help but shake his head. Surveying for targets? More like stalking the local populace. He took a peek in the woman's direction with his high powered scope. He didn't know how Evan's thought she was hot; her figure was covered in multiple layers of baggy clothing, but he did have to admit that her face was angelic if nothing else. But the tag along with her, who he assumed was her younger brother, seemed adorable. It was pity they lived in Osaka.

"Can it, Evans! You can visit her when Osaka is under control. The food banks around here keep a list of names with pictures." Kazuki said with a glance, his eyes made brief contact with the specialist's. The baby blue pupils gave nothing away yet Jimmy's angry red cheeks stuck out like a sore thumb on his usually pale face - which told him everything.

"Really?" Evan's asked hopefully.

"Ya! But some Honorary Britannian guardsman is probably chatting her up every day!" Kondo said from the doorway, his uniform sporting an army chevron of a Private First Class .

"Why do you have to burst his bubble like that, Eiri." O'Malley broke in. "Now, he's going to mope! He's not in your shift today. You don't have to deal with him." He finished teasingly.

"I don't mope-"

"I'll trade with you if you want, Andrew. I'm stuck with the two greenhorns today." Kondo said.

Kazuki couldn't help but let out a mental sigh. It was just that the two new additions to his little fire team, were having trouble fitting in. Not that was unusual, the ATTF ran differently from the regular army units. It usually took time for new members to adapt to the task force's way of doing things.

"No, thank you. Good luck with that." O'Malley said. "Shiba needs to get out his shell and realize this is the Anti-Terrorist Task Force - where everyone is welcome if you have the skills. As for Sinclair, he needs to get rid of that I'm better then you thing or he's going to have an appointment with my fist. I mean, do you see the way he looks at the Corporal?"

Kazuki coughed loudly. It was nice to know that his half-squad had his back. Still, what kind of leader would he be if he allowed a fist-fight to happen on his watch? "I'll pretend I didn't hear anything, O'Malley. Just this once."

Andrew looked a bit bashful, as if his grandmother had caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. "Sure, Corporal. I was thinking out loud, was all."

"You needed something, Kondo?" He looked towards the older Japanese man, grateful that he didn't seem to begrudge that he was the Corporal. Come to think of it, no one seemed to mind that he was the second in command of the platoon's third squad. Well, except the new-comers - which didn't really count.

"Oh, Shiba made chow. I can substitute for one of you if anyone is hungry." Kondo offered.

"Where's Sinclair?" Kazuki asked.

"Watching the perimeter cameras."

"I think. I'll have a chat with him, first. Unless anyone wants to eat?"

The chatter stopped momentarily, as everyone silently agreed it was time for him to learn the facts of life around here. Everyone knew, that the perimeter didn't really need watching - not with all the state-of-the-art motion sensors they had. That meant that Lawrence Sinclair, the Britannian elitist greenhorn, was avoiding the rest of the squad.

That wouldn't do.

It looked like he needed to have a chat with him make sure they were on the same page - everyone in the task force needed to rely on each other to survive. If he couldn't do it, well, it was time for a rude awakening. The Lieutenant had assigned them to him for a reason after all.

* * *

Hector had been busy filling out paperwork. Again. The number of forms one needed to fill out just to transport and house military detainees was ridiculous. Sure, he could have done it the easy way and just signed a few documents . but that would have ensured that the civilians were given dwellings unsuitable for pets, let alone humans.

A soft knock, alerted him to Captain Hopkins presence. He was dressed immaculately and was carrying a number of folders. A nod in his direction and the ATTF's commander trudged forward.

"How the operation going?" Hector couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing so far, but we've only been at it a few days." Adrian Hopkins said. "I heard you were pulling out soon. Since you're heading back to Tokyo, I was wondering if you could you see that the Viceroy gets these. It's a list of the ATTF's field promotions. Hopefully the Viceroy can make them permanent.

Another stack of folders was dropped on Hector's desk. He wondered if Lelouch would love the bounty of paperwork he'd be bringing back to Tokyo with him. Most of them were deemed confidential, which thanks to Colonel Richardson's new and strict guidelines, Meant that they had to be hand delivered. Not that he minded - it all came with the job.

"Enlisted and NCO promotions are confidential documents these days, Adrian?" He asked curiously.

"It is, when you have eight Honorary Britannians on it and an engineer that happens to be from Area Five. Besides, Prince Lelouch was very specific that all ATTF promotions went through him. I don't know if they'll be able to keep their promotions, but I sure hope they do. They deserve it, unlike some of the grunts around the base."

Hector shared a knowing smile with Adrian. There was a charming little story about a newly promoted captain that happened to belong to the 132nd infantry regiment. His father, a certain popular duke from the homeland had pulled strings to get him the promotion, or so the rumor went. The captain in question was then given mess duty, a small out-of-the-way command that was almost impossible to screw up. He was sure the Commander of the regiment had felt the same way at the time, until the reports of his men dropping like flies came in. For that short time, diarrhea was rampant around the 132nd.

"I'll be sure that Lelouch gets them. But if you've got a minute, there's something on my mind." Hector gestured towards a seat. They may have had the same rank, but Hector was the Viceroy's direct representative. In other words, he was treated like the right hand of god.

"I understand that you have a Corporal Higa on a detached intelligence operation. Would you care to share the details?" Hector said, unwilling to beat around the bush. He'd been wondering about it since he'd seen it mentioned in his personnel jacket.

A quick flash of confusion marred Adrian's angular face, then one of quiet understanding replaced it moments later. "Hector," Adrian said seriously. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to ask the prince about that. It's his directive, I just chose the Corporal to handle it."

"Alright, then can you tell me why you chose him?" Hector responded.

"Well, it was between him and another Number. I delved deeply into his personnel file. It was shiny - that was to be expected. What surprised me though, is that Kazuki Higa has repeatedly requested a transfer to hotspots." Adrian said. "Of course most of those requests were denied, but some did get through. He has a number of confirmed kills on his record. Kill's that would be categorized in what the Viceroy call's terrorist groups. That sold it for me. If I may be so bold, why the sudden interest?"

"Classified." Hector replied stoically, smothering a smirk.

Adrian opened his mouth and did a quick impression of the letter 'O', before he snapped it shut. "I see." He replied, a little more sharply than intended.

"Take it easy, Adrian." Hector said as he gestured stop with his hand. "I'm sorry, I was teasing. -"

"No, Hector. I'm the one who should be sorry, It came out with more bite than what I intended. It's alright, I'm a soldier. I understand 'Classified'." Adrian said soberly.

"No, I was only teasing. I think I've been hanging around Will too much. He was always a bad influence." Hector said. "Anyway. I admire Kazuki Higa's character. Also, I think you should know that I've been giving Kazuki Knightmare lessons. It all started when . . ."

* * *

Kazuki Higa and his fire team had finished their week on station. It had been a long and grueling week, with little to nothing to show for it. Not an ounce of anything unusual. Not that he had expected anything different. Even Captain Hopkins had been adamant that he didn't expect anything overnight, not that it changed the fact that they failed, at least for now.

It was a good thing he could at least partially admire the scenery that passed him by, it kept his mind away from darker thoughts. Osaka City used to be a jewel to Area Eleven and was a popular tourist spot for visiting Britannians. Even now, it was still a sight to see - however battered it was. The architecture that lined the streets was still the pinnacle of Britannian design, straight and angular buildings constructed by polished stones or gleaming glass provided a sight that was easy on the eyes.

The paved roads were still usable, but were in dire need of repair - much like everything else in the besieged city. Its infrastructure alone needed months or even years of work. Then there was the local economy. Where there used to be a number of bustling shops on every corner, only few remained, manned by the few hardy souls unwilling to give another inch to the Kenshiki.

At least the majority of the street lights still functioned, they lit their path as they sped through the streets. Not that the lights helped him much. They made it hard to scan the dark nooks and crannies that they passed. Those worried him the most. A well placed man could hit them with an RPG before he even noticed there was an attack.

Transit between station and base was the riskiest part of the operation. They were driving incognito, as Honorary Britannian guards driving a refugee supply truck. While the Kenshiki had yet to attack one of their food transports, it was bound to happen. He just hoped it wouldn't start with them.

They were on a small narrow side street when, suddenly the truck swerved and Shiba hit the brakes hard. "I think I almost hit someone, Corporal."

He knocked twice at the truck's cab, before he confirmed his radio was on. "I'm dismounting, stay with the truck Private." He said with the unspoken command of ' Drive if I get hit.'

He moved quickly, he didn't want to stay here long. But those thoughts died in his mind as he saw a child getting up slowly beside the truck. He rushed to the child's side "Are you okay?" He spoke gently in fluent Japanese.

The child that couldn't have been older than eight, had tears dripping down his pudgy face. His clothes were covered in grime as if he'd be crawling in the muck. "They took Oni-san and Onee-chan." He said in between labored breaths.

"It's going to be okay. Are you hurt?" A nod later and he lifted the boy up gently. "It's going to be okay. " He tried to soothe. "Did you get that? Shiba, park the truck. Evans, get your first aid-kit ready." He said quietly in Britannian.

* * *

"This is Bravo six-alpha, moving to act at grid echo seven. What's the status on our reinforcements? - Over. " Kazuki Higa spoke through the radio as his men moved quietly through an alley.

"Twenty four mikes, I repeat two-four mikes - a mechanized patrol will pass your position - Over." A soft alto replied through his earpiece. He paused and mulled through the information he had. If there were really abducted people inside, they could be dead in twenty four minutes. That is, if they were even still alive.

The child they had almost ran over, had told them exactly what happened to him and his two siblings. It was disheartening, but also suspicious. Earlier in the day, the boy's sister had told him they were going to a safer place, away from all the bad men. It was later, or so the kid said, that his brother joined them. In tow was an 'onee-chan with a lot of bandages', whom O'Malley apparently reminded him of - uniform and all.

They had stayed together until he saw his brothers friends. The child had paused then, seemingly looking for the words to describe what had happened - no doubt a traumatic event, if it were true. His 'Onee-chan' told him to run and hide. He'd run and hid at his sister's command, yet couldn't help but follow his family as they were dragged to a building. A building his brother apparently frequented.

As his mind tried to piece the incoherent sentences together, the combined implications had sent him reeling. From what he understood, the child's brother was a member of the Kenshiki and had gotten a Britannian soldier out. Perhaps he was trying to defect. He didn't know. All he knew was, if it were true, time was of the essence.

To make matters worse, as Jimmy wiped off the grime from the kid, he realized that he recognized the boy, who called himself Jin. He didn't know if Evans had noticed, but the child was the usual tag along to the Japanese woman he had the hots for. She was probably the Onee-chan they were going to try and save.

Unfortunately, he couldn't say it, and if the medic did know, he was doing a remarkable job of hiding it. He hoped his personal feelings wouldn't endanger the already risky mission.

It didn't take long to mark down which two-story house to target. Jin had been secretly following his brother there for weeks, He was able to describe it in detail, and with the aid of a highly detailed Osaka city housing plan, they quickly narrowed down the address.

On route to the target and a plan of attack in place, he contacted his superior. Sergeant Blake had answered the Lt's radio and had initially refused to give the go ahead in what he said was 'a risky and dangerous proposition.' Kazuki was an Honorary Britannian, but that didn't stop him from arguing the point. Not in the ATTF.

That is until Lieutenant Wilkins broke in. While he had been arguing with the platoon sergeant, the lieutenant had already called command and rerouted the nearest patrol unit towards the target. He left him with the parting words. "You're a good soldier, Kazuki. You're the man on the ground - I trust your judgement. Good luck."

It was all he needed to hear.

As they inched closer towards their target. He silently hoped that his judgement wouldn't kill them all. At least Kondo would be safe. After dropping them off in the nearest dark alley way, he sent the older man to get to his designated hindsight and to take Jin with him.

The house was exactly how it looked on the city's housing plan. He hoped the floor plans remained the same as well. The lock on the gate had been destroyed, yet there were no sentries outside. It looked just like a regular residence - nothing to give it away as a possible haven for the Kenshiki.

His fire team had fanned out, slowly approaching the house. So far, so good, If there were Kenshiki inside, they were undoubtedly sloppy - no perimeter or cameras that they could detect. It was if they expected the house's anonymity to protected them. Until now, that is.

As they got closer, he heard a muffled scream inside and what could only be something breaking. He raised his right arm in a right angle and made a fist with his hand, indicating to everyone behind him to stop. Muffled voices could be heard from within, but he could only make out every half word. They came out in garbled Japanese, words that made his pulse quicken and his adrenaline soar. 'Bitch' and 'lesson' was something he didn't want to hear in conjunction with 'you'll love it'.

With a nod towards Sinclair, they continued on, unable to glimpse inside as the windows were shrouded in thick curtains. That was good. The occupants inside would be unable to see Sinclair as he headed towards the fuse box. As another muffled scream came, he resisted the urge to speed up towards the door.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, he was positioned right by the door. Three other men formed a line behind him, just like they'd done dozens of times before. He tapped his mouth piece twice.

"Roger. Good luck, Bravo-six. Patrol will be there in twenty, two-zero, mikes - out." The feminine voice said.

He switched his radio over to their local net. He tapped the mouth piece once. "I'm in position, Corporal. I've got eyes on you." Kondo broke in. This time he tapped in three times in quick succession, and another tap responded shortly after. Everyone was in place.

Kazuki breathed in and exhaled, just like he'd done thousands of time before. He signaled the men behind him and he activated his night sights. A tap on the shoulder confirmed they were all ready. Another exhale and he said the word "Breach." quietly into the radio.

A moment later the world was plunged into darkness and they moved with lethal intent.

* * *

Adrian ran.

It wasn't the orderly run of someone in a hurry, it was the full blown sprint of someone running for his life. He passed corridor after corridor, finally stopping in front of a security door. With a quick wave of his ID card, the door slid open. It was Osaka city's command and control center - the nerve center of the military in the city.

No one paid him any mind as he walked in, all the personnel were deeply engrossed in their own displays. That is, until the officer of the watch noticed him - a shapely blond woman. A quick stride later, he was elbow to elbow with the second lieutenant. "What's happening?"

"One of your fire teams reported in. They suspect they found a possible safe-house. We don't have a lot of details, Sir, but apparently they think someone is about to be executed and they suspect a Kenshiki Lieutenant involved. We lost contact two minutes ago, Sir." She relayed the information as quickly as she could.

"Have you rerouted nearby patrols?"

"Yes, Sir. The closest one will pass by in ten. And I have all the alert Knightmare squads in their cockpits, waiting for the word to mobilize." She replied.

"Whose fire team?"

"A Corporal Higa, Sir." She replied, the distaste in her voice almost non-existent.

"I'm getting chatter!" An analyst shouted, cutting through the room's noise momentarily.

"What are you waiting for! Put it on speaker." Adrian barked.

"This is bravo six-charlie... I repeat... our radios...being jammed! If anyone can hear me, I'm seeing...in some of the buildings...foot mobiles - unknown...hostile-" The voice said through the radio through bouts of static.

"Bravo six-charlie, do you hear me? This is Captain Hopkins." He spoke through the radio.

A heartbeat passed, then another. And then there was only static on the channel. A quick look at the analyst confirmed that the feed had been cut. He breathed in and found his calm.

"Alright people, I'm declaring a Code Yellow under ATTF jurisdiction!"

Everyone in the room seemed to inhale suddenly as an impossible weight was added to their shoulders. Code Yellow meant one thing and one thing only - heavy urban combat. The kind that could turn a city into rubble.

"Someone find Colonel Richardson and give him a sitrep! Also, I need a line with Kadena Air Base! I need some birds in the air! I want all communications in that area jammed! Does anyone know if Captain Zimmerman is still on base? " Adrian snapped orders one after another as if he'd done this before.

The highly trained men and woman around him snapped to and got underway. Their training had prepared them for situations like this. Now, it was time to put practice into action.

* * *

Roy Yates was loading his personal Sutherland onto the transport plane. They were finally done with the city of Osaka, at least for now. The last of the hostages had been flown out yesterday. All was left was to get their Knightmares to Tokyo.

In a short time he'd be back in his own house, drinking beer. He could almost feel it, the cool beverage flowing down his throat like fabled ambrosia, the all so sweet nectar of the gods. Not to mentioned he'd be able to wind back with a month's worth of recorded television. He hated to admit it, but being one of Lelouch's Royal Guards was spoiling him. Being able to go home, instead of a barracks was a welcomed change in his life.

He did miss the excitement. Instead of relying on deadly Knightmare combat to keep his skills sharp, he relied on drills and simulator time. It just wasn't the same. Perhaps someday soon, he'd be able to test his skills on the battlefield once more.

The sudden static of an open radio channel broke his line of thought. It was quickly followed by Hector showing up on his display.

"Return to the hanger, everyone." Hector ordered. "Our departure has been delayed. Elements of the ATTF are currently raiding a Kenshiki safe house, with a possible HVT inside. Colonel Richardson and Captain Hopkins tell me that it can escalate quickly. Since we're the best Knightmare unit around, and since we're still here, I'm putting us on standby in case they need us."

Roy sighed as he turned towards their hanger. He hoped he hadn't just jinxed them. Not because he was afraid of combat, but because of what it meant for the infantry on the ground.

* * *

An: _Review_


	4. Osaka: Final Chapter

AN: This was hard to write, I'm dissatisfied with a lot of the scenes, but if I waited till I was satisfied you'd all be waiting forever, or so Allora tells me. Hopefully this answers some of your questions, and leaves you with a little more.

Again, thanks to my Beta who shall remain unanimous. Oh and thank you Allora for letting me play in your sandbox. It's fun, that is when you're not threatening to whip me.

This is almost the end to this particular story, I just need to write the epilogue. The characters will reappear at times. Though, Allora actually wants me to write a sequel/prelude. I'm not sure how I feel about that, why don't you the readers let me know?

Honestly I want to play with C.C or Kallen, or Lloyd. Or something...Did I mention C.C yet?

* * *

**Osaka Final Chapter**

Kazuki and his men moved through the house speedily, clearing room after room. The speed of their advance left the terrorists with little to no time to react, often catching an individual grasping for their weapons in the dark. In the dead of night, with no light, the Kenshiki were at a distinct disadvantage and were easy pickings. They dispatched individuals with ease with silenced bursts of gunfire.

Another individual was unlucky enough to have been caught with his pants down, literally. He was found unconscious with whom he could have only assume was Jin's sister. She was a far cry from the frightened woman he'd expected - the woman was a fighter. He left Evans and Shiba to handle them. As he left, he could hear the Honorary Britannian whisper question after question towards the woman in Japanese.

They climbed the stairs, one after another. Once they were securely on the second floor, he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He was thankful - the stairs would have been a perfect spot for a deadly crossfire. It was lucky, and he'd take what he could get. Just a couple more rooms and the house would be secure.

He entered the hallway, scanning left, then center, then finally right in the span of a few heartbeats. He trudged forward, Sinclair and O'Malley following him. The first room was a luxurious bathroom. "Clear." He moved towards the next room, a bedroom that had seen better days, filled with all kinds of boxes and crates. He was about to shout all clear, when Sinclair spoke out.

"Over here, Corporal!"

He moved toward Private First Class Sinclair, with O'Malley hot on his six. He immediately noticed that a man was tied up on a chair, he was unmoving except for the steady rhythm that indicated he was breathing. He couldn't tell if the man was severely injured or not, but if this was who he thought he was, then he'd be more valuable alive.

"O'Malley, go down there and tell Evans to come up here." He paused and turned his head.

"Sinclair, grab Shiba and get the lights back on, pronto" As they left, he couldn't help but check his watch. It had taken them four minutes to clear the house. Now he just needed to hold it until the cavalry arrived.

* * *

"Higa, you need to see this." O'Malley's voice broke through his ear piece. He moved downstairs as quickly as he could. The lights came on as he landed on the first floor.

"Over here, Corporal." O'Malley barked from the direction of the living room. A few quick strides later and he found himself staring at an opened trap-door that lead down. "Andrew? What am I looking at?" He asked his second in command.

"Kana said there's a Britannian down there." He replied using one hand to point down the dark depths.

He couldn't help but raise his eyebrow at his response. "And where is Kana?" He asked quickly, assuming that was the name of the woman they'd rescued.

"She probably followed Evans' after he finished patching her up." As soon as the words left O'Malley's mouth, he had a shocking realization. His brown eyes widened and the expression was written all over his face. In his haste to check out a lead, he had left Evans with a potential hostile, negating the very reason he sent him down. Worse the lovesick Evans' would probably have put his guard down.

O'Malley didn't wait for permission to go as he hurried pass him. That left him to check out the trap door that lead into a dark, man-sized hole. _Fun._

* * *

It hadn't taken long for him to walk down the dark passage way. And to his vast relief he found a light switch. It was pure luck he'd found it as early as he did, his hands brushing against it as he'd braced against the wall on his made his way down. With a flick, the underground basement was flooded with light.

As his eyes adjusted to the sudden illumination, he noticed that the hidden basement was nothing but a dull, cemented room filled with empty wine racks. There was a door, of course. It was iron and was locked from this side with a deadbolt - a recent addition, it seemed.

Kazuki quietly strode forward, towards the door. Once the lock was dealt with, he inched the door open with one hand while the other steadied his sidearm. It was an unorthodox method of breaching a room - one that would have resulted him in getting him chewed out by his drill instructor - but that didn't stop him. Not now, when another life was counting on him.

When the door was completely opened and no hail of bullets responded, he cautiously poked his head in. The room was dark, with only stray beams of light to illuminate it. He couldn't make out much, but he did make out an unmoving body lying on a bed of blankets. He hoped he wasn't too late.

He approached cautiously, just like he was trained. He peered into the curtain of shadows, ensuring that nothing was suddenly going to jump him. When he'd mentally cleared the room, he moved to holster his sidearm, his rifle jostled in its harness as he went. Kazuki crouched down to check the pulse, all the while his eyes continued to scan his surroundings.

The body was warm. The heartbeat was strong and strangely increasing in tempo.

It happened so fast. One moment, he was trying to figure out what the speeding pulse meant. The next he felt a hand tightly grasping his wrist and before he knew it he was being pulled down, hard.

His face kissed the floor, the impact stunning him momentarily. He didn't know what had happened, but when he felt a sudden weight on his back, his instincts kicked in. He wiggled and bucked as he tried to unsaddle the unnatural added weight - to no avail. It was a moment later when an arm snaked around his neck and the pressure began, slowly sucking the life out of him one precious breath at a time.

To his credit, he didn't panic. He renewed his movements and mimicked a rampaging horse. It didn't help, not one bit. He knew he only had moments before he started to black out. Partly in panic and partly in desperation his hands reached behind him, hitting his assailant inefficiently. Due to his position, his blows had no power, but he wasn't about to die without a fight.

Kazuki could feel his vision begin to darken. He was at death's door. In one last, hopeless attempt, he felt his hand make contact and suddenly the situation changed. He didn't know what came first, the loud groan or the sudden release of pressure.

He could breathe again, however slightly. The loosened grip gave him his chance and he took it like a champion boxer seeing an opening. He snapped his body, his assailant still recovering from his blow provided no resistance. He shook her off with ease and suddenly the tables were turned. His legs trapped his assailant's arms, while his arms pinned the rest of her body to the ground. His assailant merely laid there waiting, saving their strength.

He was breathing heavily, but that didn't stop him from identifying himself. "Corporal Higa, Anti-Terrorist Task Force, Britannian Army. I guess I'm the rescue party" He said between breaths.

His assailant audibly gulped, presumably shocked at his identity. "Who's your commanding officer?" A demanding feminine voice asked.

"First Lieutenant William Wilkins." He replied quickly, his tone full of irritation.

"Corporal, I know you're comfortable right now, but could you . . .-" She paused, hesitation evident in her voice. "-stop groping me?"

The words reached him with explosive force. He unconsciously squeezed as if to verify the statement.

"Like that do you, Corporal?" She said, her tone suddenly teasing.

Kazuki flew off her faster than light. One moment he was on top of her the next he was standing up, he didn't even remember it happening. He could feel his face start to heat up, the telltale sign of a blush. He took a step back, toward the door. "Can you get up?" He asked calmly, knowing she was injured somewhat.

"Sure."

"Walk towards the light then, Ma'am." He ordered.

"Don't trust me do you, Corporal? Not that I can blame you. I thought you were one of those bastards, honest." She replied, voice laced with innocence.

She slowly crept into the light, her arms supporting her body. For the first time he could see his assailant's face. Her features were ordinary, there was nothing remarkable about her, yet he couldn't quite shake the feeling that he'd seen her somewhere before.

He regarded her with a critical eye, taking in her every detail.

From the her dark, long, straight hair, to her fair skin, to the state of her uniform - ravaged as it were. Nothing screamed out at him, even her blood soaked bandages didn't seem to register, until she locked her gaze on him. Perhaps it was her brown, mischievous eyes that gave her away, secretly taunting him. He knew he had seen that look before. It was a look that was burned into his mind.

It had been a dark night then too, with only the moon to highlight his path. She had come across less feminine then, more man than woman. She'd had lighter hair then too, and a bit shorter. She'd charged at him then, like a nightmarish creature from the depths of hell, scaring him more than he'd ever admit.

He couldn't help himself and directed his rifle towards her. She had attacked him, after all. "Who are you?" Kazuki demanded, the implied threat hanging between them

She kept her hands steady and her face neutral, as if there wasn't a gun pointed in her direction at all. It was as if he was a fly on the wall, not worth her attention. "Second Lieutenant Parker, thirty ninth recon, Corporal. " She said in a surprisingly soft, yet firm voice.

"The last time I saw you, _Lieutenant_." He emphasized the word. "You were a Private. Care to explain that?" He asked, rifle never leaving her direction.

Her mask broke ever so slightly, not in the dismay he'd expected to see, but in the small, discreet signs of a concealed grin. "Bravo, Corporal Higa. What gave me away?"

"I'm good with faces. Now, who are you?" He demanded.

"Oh? That wasn't on your profile, Corporal. Perhaps, I left an impression that night?," She asked, her suddenly icy gaze pining him into place, daring him to deny it.

"Yes, you did. Now, answer the question." He caved, as his mind tried to figure out how he had been duped so entirely.

"Officer Parker - Military Intelligence, Kazuki-Kun." She said a little more familiarly then he was comfortable with.

"You have credentials?" Kazuki asked, not believing the name for a second. "Your voice, was deeper the last time we spoke." He continued on with the little detail that had been nagging at his mind.

"Military Intelligence." She replied, as if that was the answer to everything, her face a porcelain mask that showed nothing, but her eyes gave her away. They were dancing in mirth and filled with mischief. She was definitely teasing him.

"CORPORAL!" Shiba's panicked voice suddenly reached him.

He bolted, then stopped midway to the stairs. He glanced back toward the intelligence officer. The mischievous fire was gone from her eyes, replaced with cold, hard steel. "Go, I'll be fine." She mouthed.

* * *

Kazuki passed by Sinclair on his way up. After he told him to expect company, the Private continued to watch the front gate.

A few quick strides later he was on the second floor. Shiba was intently watching the road. Though, It appeared O'Malley had beaten him to the punch.

"I see some movement, O'Malley. A guy or two breaking curfew" Shiba said somewhat nervously.

"Keep eyes on them. If they're not armed, they're not our problem. " O'Malley replied reassuringly.

"But, why didn't you use the radio?"

"Huh? The radio is down, or I think it is.." The Honorary Britannian replied.

Kazuki immediately tuned them out as he tried getting in touch with Kondo. "Bravo Six Charlie, Do you copy?" He said into the mic. No response, he tried a few more times before he switched his tactical net and repeated the process with command and control. Utter silence came back each and every time.

They were being jammed. But why? The last time he'd checked, the Kenshiki didn't have that capability. And to showcase it now meant...

"Shiba! Get away from the window!" He screamed urgently.

The Private glanced at his direction curiously. Kazuki saw the hesitation. Perhaps if Shiba had been with him longer, he wouldn't have hesitated. But he did and that was all it took. A moment later, a hail of deadly lead crashed through the windows.

He could see it unfold almost in slow motion as bullets slowly ripped through the glass, causing it to ripple and explode, showering Shiba with deadly shards. And as sudden as it began it was over. He screamed for the medic as he ducked down and approached his downed team member, hoping he was still alive. Smashing any thoughts to the contrary.

O'Malley was way ahead of him and was already moving the body to some cover. Evans came rushing in, his medical kit in hand. He was about to ask the medic about Shiba, when gunfire erupted from downstairs.

"Corporal, they're trying to breach the gate!" Sinclair screamed a moment later.

His heart stopped then, just for a fraction of a second. If the Kenshiki were trying to get in, then that meant that this wasn't just a halfhearted attempt, but likely a coordinated effort.

He didn't like that thought at all.

* * *

Everyone in the room was tense, as if the hangman's noose was tightly wrapped around their necks and were merely waiting for the trap door to open, plunging them to their doom. Adrian couldn't really blame them. There was a chance that everything could escalate into full blown Knightmare frame combat after-all. No one wanted to be responsible for turning Osaka City into a crater.

Everyone else was busy monitoring the steady stream of information that was dumped into their consoles. But not him. All he could do was wait. It was an agonizing wait, where he continuously second guessed himself. Not that he could countermand his orders. A change of plan now would be disastrous. It was better to follow through at this stage.

So he settled in and watched the main plot like a silent sentinel. He watched the numerous icons moving toward Bravo Six's last known position. From the patrol that inched closer every second, to the reinforced platoon of Knightmares Captain Zimmerman was assembling just outside the perimeter. Air assets were closing in as well, and would be on station sooner than most.

He had deployed additional Knightmare squads as decoys. Their routes angled them away from Bravo six, but were designed to get attention. In reality, those units doubled as his rapid response force in case his men were attacked by Sutherlands. If that happened, he'd already have units on the field waiting to pounce.

He looked at the clock again. Only a few more minutes and he hoped that they'd be able to reestablish contact. The eighth city patrol was dangerously speeding towards grid echo seven and with them was a communications vehicle that he hoped would be able to boost the signal and break the com blackout.

He knew the orders he'd given were dangerous. Any one of the participating elements could be ambushed and obliterated. Still, he had his duty. He remained calm and poised, not letting even a hint of his inner turmoil escape him, and merely watched as the clock counted down. He just hoped, they got there in time.

* * *

Corporal Kazuki Higa sent a burst of gunfire toward the muzzle flashes, ducking for cover moments before another hail of bullets hit their position. The situation was getting progressively worse by the minute. He didn't know how many tangos were out there, but he knew the numbers seemed to be increasing.

The gunfire had started as a steady trickle, coming every couple of seconds. Now it resembled a flooding stream, where the Kenshiki attempted to coordinate their fire towards any muzzle flashes. The upside was that the terrorists were badly trained and didn't know how to hit the backside of a barn - even at the close range they were in. The downside was that a stray bullet could kill any of his men or one particularly stubborn intelligence officer.

Officer Parker, or the name she seemed to be going by, had taken a Chinese-made automatic rifle, one of many that had been scattered throughout the house and quickly moved to support Sinclair downstairs, shooting anything that attempted to breach the wrought iron gate. He would have rather had Evans see to her injures, but she'd brushed him off with a casual, _"I'm not under your command, Corporal."_

The fire stopped for a moment and the voices outside shouted to get into proper fire positions. He grinned at the thought. That wouldn't be happening. Not with a sniper to support them. He just hoped Kondo would continue to be his usual impeccable self and be discreet, hiding his position for as long as he could.

A moment later, the gunfire resumed, illuminating the night once more. Almost simultaneously, gunfire came roaring down from downstairs. The Kenshiki were trying to breach again. He didn't like that bit of information at all. It seemed that the battle was only escalating, but what could be so important that they try to retake this house? It was a breaking of the status quo - an escalation of the whole area, out right combat. Better yet, how were they going to survive?

"Reloading!" A familiar voice yelled.

He glanced towards the voice, at Shiba. Even in the darkness he could make out his face that was half covered in hastily applied bandages. The Private only had vision in one eye, but he continued providing suppression fire like a true soldier. O'Malley was on the adjacent window. He knew his second in command had been grazed by a bullet or two. He knew Officer Parker had chest wounds of some sort and if Sinclair was unscathed he'd be more than surprised.

It was only a matter of time before someone got a lucky hit in. He needed a plan, but for that he needed information. "O'Malley!" He yelled, his voice piercing through the gunfire. The only indication that the soldier heard him was a brief pause in his fire. "Going to check on Evans!" He continued.

He stood up and hugged the wall. A quick peek later, he broke cover and quickly let out a few burst of fire towards the enemy and hastily ran back into the darkness of the house's interior. He didn't stop running when bullets whizzed past him, imbedding themselves into the ceiling and the wall just ahead of him. He dived into the hallway, and rolled into cover.

He quickly moved towards his intended destination, ignoring the echo of gunfire. The room provided the best protection from the onslaught. Yet it also provided a moderate view of the rear of the house. Not that he needed the eyes. Sinclair, being the elite soldier that he was, had taken initiative while he was fooling around with the she-devil in the basement and had apparently booby trapped the rear wall with explosives.

The loud bang notwithstanding, if the Kenshiki encircled them they were as good as dead. He mentally chastised himself. He should be thinking on how to get out, not recapping the thousand of ways this situation could go from bad to worse.

Kazuki strode through the door, his expression grim when he noticed the Kenshiki turncoat still unconscious. That wouldn't do. Evans was gently tending to the man's wounds with Jin's sister's assistance. The man's face was slightly cleaner then the last time he'd seen him. Had it really only been a handful of minutes since?

"Is he in a coma?" He asked his medic as more gunfire rang out from beyond.

"No, Corporal. He's knocked out. For how long it's anybody's guess. It could be five minutes, it can be five

hours." Specialist Jimmy Evans replied while he wet a towel in a bucket.

"We don't have five minutes." He responded viciously as he grabbed the bucket full of water. "Clear!" Jimmy leaped away like he was trained. Kana, Jin's sister, on the other hand stayed stock still as he dumped the water on the Japanese man's face.

It worked like a charm, the man's face suddenly scrunched up and grasped for air. His eyes opened slowly and blinked. "Where-"

"I'm a Britannian solider, You're in a Kenshiki safe house." Kazuki cut in. "Yes, that's gunfire. A lot of it. We're under fire. Your sister here, told me you wanted safety for information. I need that information.

Now." He finished as quickly as he could.

The man merely stared back at Kazuki, slowly processing the words. Finally he spoke, "The woman, Parker, promised me immunity. And safety for me and my family - for her life and information."

He silently seethed at the gall of this man to negotiate when his men were out there fighting. "I don't know what Parker promised you." He didn't raise his voice, but he could feel the chill emanate from his tone. "You can take that up with her later. But if you don't tell me what I need to know now, me and my men are leaving. Without you." He threatened.

The man stared back as defiant as his nation. When a particularly long volley of gunshots died down and there was still no response, he glanced away in disgust. "Jimmy, pack your gear. We move in five." He said as he walked out, ignoring his medic's pleading look.

"No! Please wait." Kana said in desperate Japanese, as he stepped out the door. "Kaede, brother, please tell him. Now." She pleaded anxiously as she flawless switched languages.

Kazuki glanced back at the Kenshiki member. He was staring at his sister, only now taking in her bruised pale skin and her features marred with dried blood.

"Well, Kaede?" He asked, his face assuming his poker mask.

"I'll talk," Kaede said, all the fight gone out of him. "if you promise me, that you'll find my little brother and get him and my sister to safety. They haven't done anything."

"I can't promise that, but I can promise I will try. You have my word." Kazuki vowed.

"Okay, what do you want to know?" He gave in as he struggled slightly to push himself into a upright position.

"Why, are the Kenshiki-" Kazuki paused as he heard the loud rumbling sound of a jet engine. It pierced through the gunfire - giving him hope, however small. Without radios, the fast movers would be useless to him. "What's so important that the Kenshiki are attacking here in force?" He finished.

"I can think of three things off the top of my head." Kaede paused as he held up three, bloodied fingers. "One, there should be a couple cases of anti-knightmare missiles. Those are always in short supply. Two, this house isn't just a safe house. The leadership uses this house to relay orders to some of the cells. There should be a mountain of files somewhere about that. And, finally, me. I'm a pencil pusher like they say in your Britannian T.V. Let me put it this way, I can estimate what the Kenshiki actually have. Weapons, Knightmares, and based on the food books probably numbers too.."

Kazuki tried to listen as intently as he could, but with jets flying overhead and the constant barrage of lead he only got the gist of what Kaede said. None of which gave him a feasible plan.

"Chinese-" He shut his mouth with a snap as he heard the loud shout.

"RPG!" Shiba's familiar voice echoed through the house. A moment later, the house shook with monstrous force and he found himself bracing against the wall. He didn't hesitate. He was halfway outside the door, Evans in hot pursuit, when the house rumbled once more.

It only took him seconds to get back, but his ears told him everything well before then. No sound of bullets being fired, no loud moans of a man in pain - nothing. There was a dead silence in this part of the world.

And when his eyes finally matched what he was hearing, he paused for a moment, a second, an eternity. Then he was moving again, stopping directly in front of the hole in the wall and grabbing Shiba, who was a bloody mess. He dragged him to cover as bullets homed in on him.

He checked for a pulse and his heart skipped a beat when it found none. He didn't have time to mourn, not when gunfire sang loudly into the night, not when he still had men depending on him.

A soft thud, alerted him that Jimmy had followed suit with O'Malley, his face bloody as precious lifeblood continued to seep through a gash. Evan's reached in to check for a pulse. Kazuki dared not hope, as he held his breath for a fraction of a second.

That was all it took for Evans to look back at him, "There's a pulse. It's weak."

He exhaled at the small victory. He was a moment away from repositioning himself to provide suppressive fire, when his earpiece buzzed with life.

"Bravo...Bravo Six, do you copy?"

"This is Bravo Six Alpha, Over." He barely got out, his emotions bleeding through the radio. The communications uplink was a moment too late for one of his men - but perhaps not for the rest of them.

* * *

Hector sat in his Sutherland, silently going through his pre-battle checklist. He and the rest of the Royal Guard were preparing to sortie, but they weren't alone. In ones and twos, the ATTF's knights gathered behind them. It was the largest Knightmare force he had ever commanded and if he was honest with himself, it made him a little nervous.

The Intel was sketchy at best, still he agreed with Hopkins. They had no other alternative but to try and relieve the besieged squad. The enemy Knightmares were unlikely to make an appearance, they just weren't ready yet, or so the Kenshiki informant had implied. That was good news, if it were true.

If the informant turned into a plant and the whole thing was staged, then he would be leading troops into what could only be a death trap. And that scared him. He probably had the best knights in the area with him, excluding the Glaston Knights, but even the best could be surprised and overcome.

As the ATTF continued to pour in, he took his time to make sure his fellow guardsmen were on the same page.

"Things are getting dicey out there. So we're going to be setting the pace, let's make sure they can keep up until we get to the patrol. Then we go full formation speed, you guys got me?"

"As if the kid didn't idolize you enough, Hector. Wait until he finds out we've only been treating him with kid gloves." Roy teased, lightheartedly.

"Roger that, Captain, we'll move fast and hit hard. Kazuki better save some for the rest of us." Amanda chipped in.

He was glad to know that his squad felt the same way. All of them had gone into combat before and knew the risks. They knew the bitter taste of losing someone they knew. There was no question as to whether or not Higa would be alive when they got there. Even though they knew the odds, no one voiced the question or entertained the thought. Higa would be alive when they got there, damn the odds.

His display finally chimed, snapping him away from his thoughts. The last friendly unit had arrived. "Listen up," He voice rang throughout each and every Sutherland under his command. "Our orders are as follows: Reinforce Bravo-Six and secure the site for exfil. Patrol Papa Romeo Eight is already inbound, but they've already suffered casualties. They're encountering heavy concentrations of roadside explosives and their pace has slowed to a crawl. Once we rendezvous with the patrol, red squad will be detached to play nursemaid. Squad leaders, I need confirmation on those orders. Over."

It had taken all of seven seconds before his four squads confirmed their orders. "Let's move people! Stay frosty and keep those heads on a swivel. Observe everything, admire nothing!"

* * *

Bravo Six Charlie! Eiri, do you read? Kill that RPG team! NOW!" Kazuki frantically screamed into the radio.

There was no reply as the house shook from another near miss. Kazuki knew they didn't stand a chance against heavy ordinance, It was evident all around him, the House was being devoured piece by painful piece. Every second that passed, the Kenshiki continued to degrade their cover, and with it, their chances of survival.

"Bravo Six Alpha, tango down - I repeat RPG team neutralized, over" Kondo's voice rumbled through his ear piece like an earthquake - shaking him into cover.

"About time! Continue to provide sniper support! Over and out."

Their position was stable, at least for the moment. But like the ocean eroding the shore, the Kenshiki would eventually break through, even if it was only through sheer persistence.

Good thing there were eyes in the sky.

"This is Bravo-Six, requesting close ground support from overhead fast movers, over."

"This is Arrow lead, Bravo six, negative on the air support. Flight is not configured for close ground support. Our bombs would kill you as much as they'd kill the enemy, over"

"Stand by Arrow flight, Bravo six out" He bitterly responded.

His heart couldn't help but plummet as he let out a burst of fire, causing him to miss his target. Without support they were as good as dead. It was only a matter of time before Kondo ran out of ammo and left them to fend for themselves.

"Corporal, I'm seeing a large group of foot mobiles massing nearby." His sniper's steady voice broke through his thoughts , causing him to look and confirm.

"Roger that. Over and out." He replied trying to keep radio discipline.

From his vantage point on the second floor, they weren't entirely noticeable but he'd caught the hints of it. The gunfire slowed and more yelling could be heard, the telltale sign that the terrorist's were regrouping once more. Only this time he was afraid they'd succeed in a breakthrough.

"Evans! How's O'Malley? " He asked through the radio.

"Not good, Corporal. I need more time to stabilize him. "

He glanced outside once more and noticed that the enemy were starting to inch their way towards the house. The sheer amount of bodies he saw stunned him into inaction just for a brief moment. This was the largest attack of the night.

"Jimmy, you're out of time. Get your ass in here. I need you and your rifle. Grab their ammo too." He bit out through the radio, inwardly mourning for O'Malley. He knew, he had just condemned his friend to death.

He rolled into firing position and let out an accurate burst, hoping to delay the Kenshiki. He saw his target stagger and fall slowly to the earth. To his horror, the man's companions merely ignored their downed comrade and pushed forward like an unrelenting horde. He observed them moving from cover to cover, trying to get closer.

Then suddenly bullets were hitting his position and he felt a hot, burning sensation on his arm. He rolled into cover and urgently examined the area only to find a slight tear in his uniform and a light amount of blood. The bullet had only grazed him. He was lucky - at least for now.

They couldn't keep up like this. He needed a plan - a solution. This whole situation was his mess, and if he didn't think of anything pretty soon, there wouldn't be anything left to reinforce. He heard rapid footsteps come closer, "About time, Evans-" He said loudly, only to stop and gape at the speedily approaching figure.

"Sorry, to disappoint Corporal-san, but you'll have to make do with me, okay?" Kana said a little too calmly for his taste, as she took cover opposite of the blasted wall.

She tossed him O'Malley's bloody ammo belt - the message was clear.

"Can you even used that?" He asked loudly, his voice cutting through the constant sound of gunfire. After all, her dress may have been torn and bloodied, but the woman didn't look like she could hurt a fly. Not with a rifle anyway.

Kana merely smiled and cocked the Chinese made assault rifle. "Dad was in the military. He was a gunner for a gunship." She said by way of conversation, as she casually peeked out and fired her first shots. Not quite a pro, but definitely not an amateur either.

He couldn't but help but raise his eyebrows. This girl really was a fighter, and he couldn't help but chuckle despite the situation. He just wished they had gunship support. They were still enroute, but those guns of theirs would-

He mentally stopped in his tracks, "Bravo Six to Arrow flight, do you copy? Over."

"This is Arrow Lead, Bravo six. Streets are still clear of enemy Knightmares, over."

"Copy, Arrow flight. Requesting priority gun run - danger close."

"Negative, Bravo Six. You're too packed in, cannot differentiate friend from foe. Over." The pilot replied sternly, trying to evade a friendly fire incident.

"Arrow Flight, If you don't help us, we are dead. We need that gun run." He urgently conveyed as he felled another terrorist.

He could here an audible sigh across the radio. "Bravo six, highlight the targets with smoke and you'll have your gun run, over." Arrow lead replied a little hesitantly.

He quickly confirmed the plan through the radio and told the pilot to standby, he turned to the brave woman next to him, a civilian - someone that he should have been able to protect - and felt the deep bitterness of shame creep up to him.

"Kana-" Kazuki managed to bite out as he observed the enemy finally faltering. "Can you hold here? I have a job to do." He finished. Kana merely glanced at him and nodded. The sight of her angelic face caused his shame and anger at the situation to increase tenfold as it stabbed into him like a sword thrust - quick and painful.

He was the soldier, not her. It was his responsibility to keep them out of harm's way - yet he had failed in his duty. He mentally berated himself, his inexperience had started to show. He hadn't even considered smoke to highlight the area. He could have made excuses, like the fact that he was an Honorary Britannian and used to fighting without support, that he was used to following, not leading men into battle, yet he knew the fault was his and his alone.

He composed himself as best he could and quickly set to the task of gathering the needed supplies. He stripped out the grenades from his downed squad members - mourning silently as he went.

It had taken him no more than a minute to grab the smoke grenades and head downstairs. The sight the greeted him looked less like a warzone and more like the target of a shooting range. Bullet holes riddled the walls, fragments of cement were scattered about, and the smell of burning ozone and gunpowder assaulted his nostrils.

Yet for all the chaos Sinclair and Officer Parker seemed right at home. They were in positions that provided them with superior cover, kissing their targets with utmost accuracy. He crept closer as he made his way toward Officer Parker.

She spotted him as she rolled over and reloaded her rifle. Her eyebrow rose inquisitively, as if to ask 'well?'.

"I need covering fire." He yelled.

She nodded. Kazuki didn't bother to respond and quickly headed towards Sinclair. He reached the Private's position with a thump - he had dropped down, hard, as soon as bullets had started whizzing past.

A quick glance at Sinclair, and he began outlining his plan. He got as far as "I'll go out there," before Sinclair cut him off with one raise of an eyebrow. "I don't think so, Corporal, you have the only tactical radio with O'Malley down. We won't be able to coordinate with the reinforcements without you. That's why I volunteer." He finished with determination in his voice.

"But-" He stopped himself, and thought about it for a brief moment. He couldn't help but mentally berated himself. How had he missed that little tidbit of information? Another moment passed and he handed Sinclair the grenades, albeit reluctantly.

"Are you sure about this, Sinclair?" He said.

The young soldier merely nodded, as if he didn't care or know about the bleak odds he was about to face.

"You told me, Corporal." Sinclair said loud enough to pierce the gunfire. "That we may not have a tradition, but we sure have the skills. This will be a piece of cake." Sinclair said with a grin.

"Ok, cakewalk, get into position. I'll tell everyone to fire. Count three seconds then move like lightning."

Kazuki didn't spare another glance at the solider that he had probably just sent to his death.

"Evans, O'Malley stable yet?" He asked through the radio as he positioned himself to provide suppressing fire.

"Just about, Corporal." Jimmy replied a half-second later.

"Good, time to earn your pay. Grab your rifle and get ready to provide suppressive fire on my mark." He said. "Kondo, you've been listening in?" He asked speedily, forgoing the radio procedure in the process.

"Yes. Preparing to provide fire suppression on your mark, Corporal." Eiri replied almost instantly.

A few moments later and Evans was in position. "Mark. Mark." He said. The unrestrained fury from four assault rifles lashed out at the Kenshiki across the street.

He fired bursts from his weapon, watching people dive down and scurry like cockroaches when suddenly faced with bright light. From his peripheral vision, Sinclair could be seen bursting out the house, a few stray bullets flew in his general direction, but never quite got close. Sinclair ran faster than he ever could have, diving down behind the flower bed inches away from the property's gates.

"Sinclair, hold and keep your head down. We're going to reload and provide suppressing fire again." He said as his hands automatically reloaded his weapon.

The Kenshiki took advantage of their sudden silence. Gunfire echoed close by, the bullets impacting with the sturdy brick walls that surrounded Kazuki. The night was illuminated by a sudden deluge of tracer rounds. They had no choice but to keep their heads down and peek out sparingly.

"Corporal! Bullets everywhere! A little help." Sinclair shouted into the radio.

Kazuki couldn't help but grin, at least the Britannian wasn't panicking - a good sign. "Kondo!" He yelled his silent command into the radio. Seconds ticked by and eventually the fire slowed down. He may have not been able to hear it, but he knew the Private first class was silently taking down Kenshiki gunmen.

"Fire!" He shouted, hearing Jimmy echo his command moments later.

They fired, somehow it wasn't as loud or fierce as their initial volley. Partly, because this time the Kenshiki were ready, as sporadic bursts of fire crossed the street trying to land a lucky shot. Still, the billowing stacks of smoke coming from the other side meant Sinclair had done his job.

Yet, somehow Sinclair wasn't where he was supposed to be. He scanned and scanned and to his horror he found the infantryman sprinting back towards the house. It took him a split-second to scream, "Suppressing fire!"

He had only let out two short bursts, when a loud _click_ alerted him to change his magazine. The sudden

loss of ammunition shocked him for the briefest of seconds. In the background, he could hear Officer Parker screaming, "Reloading!"

Their fire had died down, yet somehow Sinclair was going to make it. The kid was a mere fifteen paces back to the safety of the house. Then everything seemed to slow down, from his hands reloading his weapon to the tracer rounds suddenly flying around his soldier.

Sinclair went down soundlessly. There was no scream, only more projectiles impacting the area around him. Kazuki stared at Sinclair's unmoving body for what seemed like days on end. It took a particularly loud voice calling for the medic to break him out of his horror.

Kazuki did the only thing he could - get revenge. "Arrow Flight, requesting gun run. Danger close!"

* * *

"Are you sure?" Captain Archer Owens asked, trying to keep his voice neutral. He hoped the reply would be 'no'. For all his skill, the task before him was daunting, he wasn't prepared for this. He and his wingman had been sent out and were supposed to be keeping a lookout for enemy Knightmares, not providing close air for a squad of the Empire's finest.

"Yes, Arrow Flight. Do it, we're dead if you don't." Bravo Six replied.

"Roger, Bravo Six, beginning my run now. " He said as confidently as he could muster.

He angled his plane towards the target. With a flick of a switch his mic was on the flight's tactical net. "Priority target, smoke plume. Gun run. Danger close - twenty meters." He could almost hear his wingman inhale at the sudden mention of the distance. Not that he could blame them. Twenty meters was just insane. So, much as a millimeter off his crosshairs and he could as easily hit their guys instead of the targets.

"Arrow Two, prepare for your run. Watch your fire."

"Roger. Wilco, Arrow Lead." His wingman replied.

He gave a silent prayer for the men on the ground, then he began his run. He angled his plane, dipping its nose ever so slightly, lining up his crosshairs with the raising plume of smoke. He waited until he saw flashes of gunfire before he pulled the trigger. He held it down for all of two seconds before he released it.

It may have not seemed like much, but his Vulcan cannon had spewed close to two hundred deadly, twenty millimeter rounds. The caliber of the weapon was designed to be used on armored vehicles. Their impact would turn a human body into Swiss cheese.

His volley hit his intended target in a tight group, for a Vulcan that is. The results were nearly instantaneous, the flashes of gunfire had suddenly ceased to exist. At least momentarily.

"Bravo Six, Bravo six. Do you copy?" He asked. He held his breath. A moment...A heartbeat. Seconds had passed with no reply. Had he hit their infantry? Had he just end the lives of some of Britannia's finest? Those questions passed by the Captain mind one after another. He tried again, and still the seconds ticked by with no response.

"Bravo Six, please respond." He said, getting desperate for a response. Still the silence dragged on.

* * *

A brief flutter could be heard echoing through the city, a moment later the earth shook violently, as the overhead barrage met its target. It was a quick burst, but was no less deadly. The rounds were designed to punch through light tank armor, it went straight through the concrete. The unsuspecting Kenshiki never knew what hit them. With aerial support, the terrorists might as well have been hiding behind cardboard, for all the good it did them.

Such was the devastation of the assault that, for a few brief moments, an eerie silence settled around the battlefield. It was a stark contrast from the constant gunfire, the difference was as different as day was to night.

Kazuki being true to his form took advantage of those precious few seconds. Adrenaline caused him to run faster than ever, yet he was taking a huge risk, as he rushed towards his fallen greenhorn. Sinclair's body was gushing blood from several locations, he didn't know if he was alive or dead - and didn't bother finding out. He had simply picked up the body as gently as he could and fireman carried him back to the safety of the house. If Lawrence Sinclair was still holding on, his manhandling had probably just injured him further. But there was no other choice.

He was still blessed he supposed. He had barely entered the door when the Kenshiki let loose a barrage in his general direction. The enemy had finally recovered it seemed. Gunfire went off once more, as Kana and Parker returned fire as best they could.

He put Sinclair's body down in the space Jimmy had cleared. It was rough and untidy, but it would provide cover from gunfire - that was all that mattered. Evans checked for a pulse and after a brief look at their fallen comrade, he announced "He's in shock. If you can spare me, Kazuki, I can stabilize him till reinforcements get here.

He could only nod in response, his hands were slick with blood. He couldn't help but try drying his hands on the nearest surface, leaving behind bloody imprints of himself. He flicked his radio back to life, "Good hit, Arrow Flight. Requesting gun run on previous target, over."

"This is Arrow Flight - glad to see you're alive and kicking, Bravo Six. Moving to provide fire support now, over."

"Copy, Arrow Flight. Requesting continued gun runs until you're dry, over," He spoke through the radio as he tried to remove the slick feeling from his hands.

"Roger. Wilco, Bravo Six, gun runs until dry. Out."

Suddenly, he was relieved. That bought him some time to organize things in the house. Reinforcements were just a few short minutes away. As he requisitioned Jimmy's last mag ,he felt the same earth shattering presence of dozens of large caliber rounds hitting their mark.

As soon as it was over, Kana's alto could be heard loudly from upstairs. "I'm out of, ammo - I need to find some!" He was about to rush upstairs to take her post, when he felt it again. Only this time the he could feel rounds impact no farther than the front lawn.

"Higa! I'm dry!" Officer Parker's voice screamed. A moment later she could be seen hobbling towards the end of the house."

His heart plummeted in dismay, he need to move. He had just reached a nice firing point, when he saw the buildings across the street get riveted with a storm of bullets. It kicked up concrete causing it to momentarily rain debris.

"Bravo Six, be advised - Winchester, Over."

"Acknowledged, Arrow Flight. Out." He bit out as his heart plummeted further, the jets were dry. He glanced back into the house, he couldn't see him but he knew Evans was hard at worker trying to stabilize Sinclair. Perhaps if he had gotten inside sooner ,he could have asked for help.

But to do so now would kill another of his men. "Parker! Status?" He shouted into the house.

"Working on it!" She screamed back.

He starred back across the street and that pit in his stomach suddenly dropped further. The battered remains of the Kenshiki combat force, looked like they had enough and were moving in to entangle themselves in close contact. They approached the house steadily and cautiously. They would have been sitting ducks, except for one problem - they were almost out of ammo. Jimmy was the only one who had any left. Not that it was much, he figured around ten to twenty rounds. Against a mob that size, it wouldn't make that much of a difference from this range.

The lack of return fire had emboldened the approaching mob. He glanced back toward the hallways, where the two woman were desperately looking for bullets, where his medic tended to a comrade, and where one turncoat watched over another of his friends. He needed to buy time.

"Kondo, give status updates on enemy position! Evans make sure to listen in." He waited for their confirmation before he proceeded to do his job.

Unfortunately for the Kenshiki he did it the only way he knew how. Moments later he rushed out to meet the radical terrorists head on.

* * *

Roy followed hot on Hector's tail, barely keeping his position in check. His hard earned reflexes subtly glided his Knightmare into proper alignment, behind his Captain. The rest of the Royal Guard formed in a steady column behind him. They moved urgently through the streets of Osaka city.

A Sutherland provided little to no aerodynamic resistance, the machine's sheer drag prevented most users from going too fast. Hector Zimmerman was no means a _common_ knight. He was an Ace, the equivalent of a medieval sword-master, a paragon. The fact was evident at the speed he traveled, he brought the RPI-13 'Sutherland' to its operational limits. Intersections passed by him in a blur of motion.

That would have been irrelevant if he had traveled alone, yet Roy and the rest of the guardsmen were right there behind him. None of them quite the ace that Hector was - but they weren't slouches in the cockpit either.

Each and every member moved as a single entity, as if they were of one mind. If Hector shifted right, one by one they would all shift right like links in a chain. Each guardsmen behind Hector took advantage of the wake that their commander trail blazed, reducing their wind resistance and bringing them to speeds they would have never have managed individually. They moved with coordination unheard of in a Knightmare squad, it was as if Prince Lelouch's Royal Guard were the pure, physical representation of true military precision and teamwork.

Not that that mattered much to Roy. He knew they were taking a huge risk. The difficult, precision formation that they used was mainly focused on speed. - If they were attacked, they wouldn't be able to maneuver freely, letting the enemy predict their movement for a precious few seconds. Sometimes, that was all the difference between the living and the dead.

Still, he'd completely agreed with Hector when they'd left the ATTF's knights way before schedule. They were out of options. Bravo Six's position was quickly becoming untenable. Soon they'd be overrun and the Royal Guard couldn't let that happen.

Not with the possible intelligence boon at stake. No, that was just the plus side, he told himself. He knew they would have still launched even if it was just to relieve a besieged unit. 'Leave no man behind' was their creed from their time in the infantry, and they continued to follow it.

"Be advised, " Hector said, his voice ringing through his cockpit. "Helicopter gunships will be on station two mikes after our estimated arrival time. We'll be the secondary target controllers, with Bravo Six being primary. Be sure to use them."

"We're arriving before the helicopters? How is that even possible? Does Kazuki even have any support right now?" Nick's voice rang out almost angrily.

"Just another SNAFU, as far as we're concerned, Nick - hold on."

The silence dragged on for a few moments as Hector undoubtedly conferred with C&C.

"Situation as follows; we have jets in the air loaded with two hundred kilo Knightmare killers." Hector said calmly, but Roy knew his friend was irritated at that little tidbit. "Also, we're are being advised that enemy foot mobiles have heavy ordinance, possibly Anti-KMF missiles. Keep on your toes, people. The Kenshiki could be hiding anywhere."

"Missiles, oh joy." He said through the com, voicing everyone's concern. In an urban environment, missiles could wreak havoc against a Knightmare squad. They could be walking into the proverbial lion's den. That is, if the Kenshiki had them in sufficient numbers. They could only dodge so long after all.

He brushed that thought aside, and imagined Kazuki's position instead. He found he didn't envy the kid, trapped against a numerically superior force with little to no support? It's not like the jets were much use at the moment, not if they needed close air support.

Hell, they had two hundred kilo bombs! These were the kind that were designed to destroy a Knightmare behind cover. If they used those in close proximity to Kazuki's squad, they'd leave a bunch of unidentifiable friendly bodies behind. Someone, somewhere had screwed up. Heads would roll after this. He just hoped they'd get there in time for Kazuki to hear about it.

* * *

Private First Class Eiri Kondo let out another shot, his aim was true and a moment later he had another kill to his record. Not that he was surprised. The distance involved was miniscule to a trained sniper, even if he didn't have a spotter to support him.

It took him but a brief moment to pull back the bolt of his rifle, releasing the spent cartridge. Another half-second later and he had a fresh round in the chamber. All the while, his eyes never strayed from his scope. He continued to peer down range and acquired another unknowing target. A gentle squeeze was all it took and another man fell to the earth.

He watched the man go down without any remorse. Years ago, he would have been appalled at his apparent disregard for life - especially Japanese life. He had been a soldier in the former Japanese army after all, he had sworn his oaths and done his duty. Sometimes, for the briefest of moments, he regretted it - the road he'd followed because of that one fateful night, because of one man. Today was not one of those days, as he merciless killed the scum that had the nerve to call themselves Japanese.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a Britannian field uniform let out a barrage of deadly fire as he took cover just beyond the house's gate. It had only been a moment, but that was all a well trained soldier needed. Those that had been attempting to breach the iron gates had been silenced.

"Kondo, do you see me. Over?" Kazuki's voice pierced through the loud gunfire that was no doubt pinning him into place.

"Copy that Bravo Six, you crazy idiot. " He replied.

"I need covering fire, I'm a sitting duck out here, I'm going to make a break back to the house. I think they're moving to flank me. So, make it loud. Don't bother being discreet, help is almost here. Over"

"Roger. Wilco, good luck and run fast, out"

He scanned the muzzle flashes across the street, mentally figuring out who to hit. He had to get it just right in order to make the rest duck down. He reloaded his magazine, and prepared to fire.

One down. He chambered another bullet quickly and acquired the next target. He held his breath and a moment later another man joined his compatriots. Two. He put another target directly in between his crosshairs and fired another shot. He could see the bullet's trajectory as he pulled back his weapon's bolt and it kissed his target, missing by the barest of margins.

He'd missed. He did not miss, not at this range. His third target had ducked down and he was about to aim at his fourth, when he heard a loud grunt through the radio. It would have been alright if it was just a grunt, but the telltale sounds of shots impacting near the microphone made him move his rifle.

It had taken no longer then a second or two to acquire Kazuki's position, he was down and didn't seem to be moving much. He was about to radio Evans to see what could be done, when just beyond his vision he saw a man take advantage of the lack of fire and move straight towards Kazuki from the Corporal's flank.

He cursed loudly as he aimed toward the fast moving figure. He had only gotten the man between his crosshairs, when the loud banging sound of bullets hitting concrete reached his ears. When he saw a tracer pass inches above him, to his horror, he found himself moving out of pure reflex and rolling into cover.

* * *

Kazuki breathed in small puffs and huffs, his hands pressed deeply into his wound, shrouding his world in pain. Slowly but surely his blood oozed down and pooled on the ground below. His luck had run out. Even as the gunfire died down, he could feel his life slowly slipping away.

The sound of a few steps came closer and closer, becoming more pronounced, then finally a Japanese man entered his darkening vision. He had a pistol in his hand, and with a sudden move it was pointed directly at his face. He could do nothing but stare down the barrel of his fate. Not that it mattered. It would probably put him out of his misery, so he glanced at his would-be killer, not with hate-filled eyes, but with sober acceptance.

The man didn't share his look, and he sneered, "Good bye, Filthy dog!"

The gunshot went off, loud and ear shattering, then Kazuki knew nothing but darkness.

* * *

Kondo fired from his vantage point, ignoring the inaccurate fire sent his way as if it were nothing but harmless flies. His shot had hit the man dead center, a kill shot. But it was bittersweet. He had failed, the man had still gotten a shot off. He bit back the stinging pain that dared swell through him.

A few precious heartbeats later, gunfire finally erupted from the house, silencing the Kenshiki across the street. He didn't even have time to react to that information when a loud rumbling sound suddenly broke through the battlefield. They came from the North. One by one, Sutherlands streaked through the street at high speed, illuminated only by moonlight. They shot at anything that moved, with deadly precision.

He had only caught a glimpse of it as they'd passed by, but the silver wolf motif was unmistakable. They were the Viceroy's Royal Guard. He didn't know what they were doing here, but he couldn't help but think too little too late.

* * *

AN: So, What do you think? I hated this, it was so hard to write. I really feel that it's bad. I guess I'll just have to make the next one better. The next side story whenever I get to writing it will go back to canon characters (mostly) and Dauntless originals like Edith. But before I can get to that, I have to finish, Osaka Epilogue.

Review


	5. Osaka: Epilogue

Well this came out faster than expected. If you have read this far, then you have read nothing but Dauntless OC's banter back and forth. Hopefully it has been entertaining. With this Osaka is over.

Thanks Beta, for the quick turnaround.

* * *

**Osaka Epilogue**

The honor guard moved solemnly in rhythm with the lone drummer. He banged his drum to a sober tune as the carefully chosen men and women loaded casket after casket onto the transport plane. The beating of the drum was slow yet powerful. The tune itself was an honored tradition and it reached out and touched the assembled soldiers, as if the fallen themselves were saying one last, sad, goodbye.

In a way, for many of the soldiers, this was their goodbye. Only a select few would have the honor and duty of properly seeing their comrades off. This was the way it had to be, for the armed forces of Britannia still had a job to do.

The grim reminder of their duty was etched and reinforced every time a casket drew near to them as they silently stood at attention. Yet for all the dismayed faces, there were those that were eager to get back and do their duty, even to their last dying breath if need be.

All too soon, the brief ceremony was over. The last casket was loaded and secured, the cargo bay was yet to close. As the seconds ticked by, Andrew O'Malley couldn't help imagine how easily he could have been on that plane. His arms rested passively on his wheel chair, giving no indication to his inner turmoil. _That could have been him._

Finally, Colonel Richardson, the garrison commander himself strode forward. He faced the bodies of his fallen men, his face devoid of any emotion and said, "Yours is the honor." His voice rolled off loudly. They were just four little words, yet they rippled through the gathered soldiers like a unseen wave, as if the words themselves were precious and beyond meaning. No other words followed. No other words need follow.

"Present Arms!" A loud voice broke through O'Malley's emotional haze. And almost instantly - as if as one - more than four hundred individuals saluted, paying their respects one last time as the cargo bay doors silently closed.

They kept their poses as the transport taxied down the runway. They kept it still as the plane lifted off and disappeared into the horizon. Then the mass of soldiers gathered from units that were involved that fateful night were dismissed.

Andrew glanced at the military nurse that had accompanied him. She gestured towards an approaching platoon. The message was clear - be patient, the passage was too narrow for them to get into. He could hardly argue when he'd had to brow-beat the nurse into coming here at all, and in uniform no less.

Then the saluting began. It all started when the Private closest to him glanced down and spotted his ATTF pin. The Private put two and two together and came up with five as he saluted O'Malley. It didn't stop there either, as the whole platoon behind him noticed. Each member of that platoon saluted him as they passed by. It was honor he didn't deserve.

Yet, it was his duty to return the salutes, especially when the platoon's commander, a snobby nosed Lieutenant saluted him too. That was too much - he could feel his eyes water as his emotional turmoil raged around him. He did not deserve this.

It should have been Kazuki they paid their respects to, not him. Kazuki was the one who kept them together, he was the one that charged into the lion's teeth for them. He was the only reason they'd survived at all. He bit back the bitter tears as the nurse strolled him back towards the medical center.

* * *

It was another ordinary day for Mai, an Honorary Britannian. She had gotten up a little past sunrise, eaten a bland yet filling breakfast and then proceeded to watch the morning report. Everything was going as routine. Well, there was one little hiccup to her usual affairs; she had received a letter from her eldest son.

He was in the military. At first she'd been against it, it wasn't safe. It was better to scrape out a living serving the Britannians, even if they pay wasn't anything to smile about. At least he would have been safe. Then again, her son had always been a stubborn one. He had argued vehemently that the pay in the military was better than any job he could have gotten in the settlement.

Her son was full of fire and ideals too, things she knew to be untrue. As his mother, she just didn't have the heart to burst his bubble. But she couldn't help but scoff at his reckless ideals. After all, if average Britannians treated him badly, what made him think it would be any different in the military? But in the end, she had given in.

The time apart was the worst part of it. Still, her darling son had taken every chance he'd been given to come home or call. Only rarely did her son write to her, and when he did it was often good news. She wondered what awaited her in the nondescript envelope.

She didn't get a chance to find out, as two loud knocks disturbed her morning.

"Now, who could that be?" She asked herself. Her friends didn't usually visit on work days. Perhaps it was the landlord finally here to fix the leaking pipes.

A few quick strides and she undid the deadbolt. What greeted her made her stop in her tracks. It was never a good sign when an Honorary Britannian got a visit from the army. People tended to go missing when that happened.

"Hello, I'm Captain Rogers." One of the men said by way of greeting. "This is my aide, Lieutenant Barnes," He gestured towards to his right, to the pudgy man in an impeccable uniform beside him. "May we come in?"

She nodded and moved aside. What else could she do? She was a third class citizen and one misstep could send everything she'd accomplished tumbling down.

The officers moved in, silently observing her run down accommodations. There was a bit of distaste on their faces. Their uniforms were a little too formal for this place, it was something more suited to a noble's party then her low class apartment.

Her musings were cut off when she caught both officers staring. She couldn't help but blush in embarrassment, "Please, sit down." She said quickly.

The Captain promptly sat down, his apparent distaste for the accommodations not stopping him from relaxing. The other officer, on the other hand, scrunched up his nose as if the chair wasn't to his liking. Not that she could blame him, but that loveseat he was eyeing was a little hard on the back.

"Would you care for anything to drink? Some tea perhaps." Mai said hospitably.

"No, thank you, Ma'am." The Captain replied his eyes full of some unseen turmoil. "There's no easy way to say this, Ma'am... But it is my duty..."

Mai suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she listened to the Captain. Her usual routine had suddenly gone out the window.

"It's your son, Ma'am. He was in combat two nights ago. I'm sorry to tell you, but he was killed."

She froze and felt her heart stop. This couldn't be happening, not now. Her emotions rampaging, she tried to sort them out but it was too much. She suddenly keeled over and a moment later, she was dead to the world. The last thing she saw was someone leaping forward, as if to catch her falling body.

When her eyes fluttered open sometime later, she was reclined on her couch. She was a little confused as to how she'd gotten there, then the unfamiliar voice spoke up, "Thank goodness your awake, Ma'am. Do you need to go to a hospital?" The Captain from earlier asked concernedly.

"No, hospitals are expensive." She said out of reflex.

"I see, Ma'am." He looked sad, then looked at his aide. " Be sure to cancel the madam's ambulance."

A moment later the Captain turned back to her. She wished he hadn't. The memory of what had happened was still hitting her like a hammer. "Do you remember what we talked about, Ma'am?"

Mai could only nod. She bit back harsh tears as it began to sink in. Her son was dead.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but I have information I need to tell you." Captain Rogers said slowly.

"No!" She shouted, her emotions bleed through. "I have to get to work." She couldn't afford to lose her job, not now. She needed to be pragmatic, even if it broke her heart.

The Captain look into her tear stained eyes. There was no look of pity, no look of disgust. Instead, he looked liked he understood. But how could he? How could he know the pain of losing a child?

"No, you don't, Ma'am. My office is already tracking down your employer to inform them to give you some leave with pay."

"But I work for nobility."

"Ma'am," He paused as if to ensure he had her complete attention. "Unless you're employed by the Emperor himself, you will be getting a paid vacation, time to mourn if you will. It's mandatory for the families of our fallen, if you want it. If this _noble_ is stupid enough to refuse, my office will inform the office of the Viceroy. I assure you, no nobleman, no matter his pedigree, wants Prince Lelouch on his back."

Despite the situation, Mai couldn't help but feel speechless. It seemed to be good to be true.

"Also, it is my duty to inform you that your son will be buried with full military honors. The funeral's expenses will be taken care of by the office of the Viceroy. Is there anything you'd like to know?"

"When can I see him?" She choked out.

"As we speak, his remains are already on their way back, to Tokyo." He said calmly, then reached into his breast pocket and handed her a handkerchief.

Mai took it hesitantly. It was as if the world had suddenly gone crazy. Nothing really mattered, nothing made sense. Everything was just blank. The emotional turmoil was unbearable, but she needed to know.

"How did Aoi die?" She bit out between half-sobs.

Captain Rogers looked into her tear stained eyes, "Mrs. Shiba, He died bravely..."

* * *

The first time he awoke, he ached all over. He was only semi-conscious for the barest of moments. Then, he was out like a light, embracing his blissful slumber. The next time he awoke, it was dark, yet he had the frame of mind to search his surroundings. The barrage of blinking lights next to him gave him all the information he needed - a hospital.

The next time he opened his eyes, he found a man with wavy, dark brown hair, sitting just ahead of him , enjoying his room's cable television. The officers tab ranked the man as a First Lieutenant and he only knew one of those with flowing brown hair. Well, only one that would actually visit him in the hospital. He tried to move but he found his muscles tired and sore, and apparently attached to all kinds of wires. What had happened to him?

He tried to speak, but it came out as a hoarse grunt. His mouth was dry from disuse, causing his words to come out it a garbled mess his kindergarten teacher would have been ashamed of.

"Kazuki, you're awake." William said happily. "About damn time. Did you enjoy your beauty sleep?"

Kazuki grunted. What else could he do? His throat was parched, too dry for him to make out the simplest of words. Luckily it was Lt. Wilkins that he woke up to. The combat veteran handed him a cup of water, as if reading his mind.

"Been there, done that." He said, answering his silent question.

He found to his distaste that his muscles protested the sudden activity. It was harder then he remembered but he managed to down the water. It was fresh and he enjoyed the moisture that came with it, like a kid with candy.

"You got hit a few times and have been out for a few days." Will said as he continued to drink till the last drop.

Kazuki worked his throat, trying to say the simplest of words. His commanding officer was patient and let him work through it. It didn't take too long and when he was confident enough that he could be understood he said, "My men, Sir? What Happened to them? To the Intel? The files?" He asked question after question.

"Take it easy. You've been out for a few days." Will said as his hand motioning him to stop. "We have plenty of time, Higa. Ok, the first question. Sinclair is at the army hospital back in Tokyo, you'll be joining him there eventually. Evan's and Kondo are on light duty. O'Malley, if I'm not mistaken, is asleep a few floors down." The Lieutenant paused, ever so slightly. "Shiba, is on his way to his family." He finished.

Kazuki felt his hand tighten with strength he didn't know he had. He silently mourned the man he didn't get the chance to know.

"You did good, Higa." Will's voice cut through his self pity like a hot knife through butter. "Shiba, is a loss. Nothing can change that, accept it. The rest of your squad is alive, if not completely whole. I'm surprised we didn't lose anyone else, especially you. It was touch and go as they worked on you - or so the doctors tell me, but that's for later. I want you to know and get it through that skull of yours, Corporal Kazuki Higa, that you did good."

The First Lieutenant paused and let the information sink in. It wasn't a long pause, but it was needed nonetheless, "Shiba didn't die in vain, Kazuki. The siblings you rescued and the amount of paperwork we secured is priceless. A shame about your prisoner dying though. Still, it will take weeks to sort through but for all we know, there's something in there that will end the Kenshiki once and for all."

Kazuki felt the information sink in. It was good to know that some good had come out of his decision. Still, there was something his commanding officer was eluding. "What's Sinclair's condition, sir?'"

"We don't know if he'll ever be fit for duty ever again, he took some heavy hits. He's not a cripple, it's just that he may move a little sluggish - maybe for the rest of his life. We have doctors checking on him, they'll do everything they can to get him up and running again." Will said.

"And, Officer Parker?" Kazuki said quickly, hoping to catch his Lieutenant unaware.

Will's face was marred with a frown, "Who's Officer Parker, Kazuki?"

It was Kazuki's turn to frown. "The _Intelligence_ officer we rescued?" He said trying to get the point across.

"What Intelligence officer?" William asked his voice suddenly laced with vigorous curiosity.

"It figures." He muttered under his breath.

* * *

Kazuki had been talking to Lieutenant Wilkins for the past twenty minutes. They talked like they were old friends. In a way they were, still it didn't change the fact that he was his superior.

"So, I think it's finally time to break the news, Higa." Will said seriously, his face adapting his command persona. "After your little battle, the rumor is that Viceroy was most displeased at how dispersed the ATTF were, and how we had to rely on regular units to reinforce us. It'll take a few weeks or so, but Alpha Company, Anti-Terrorist-Task-Force is getting another platoon. Rumor has it, that it might even be a mobile heavy weapons platoon."

"That's good news, Sir." Kazuki said somewhat reluctantly. He didn't know where the discussion was going, but when an officer of the Lieutenant's experience tells you to listen, you listened like your life depended on it.

Will gave no hints, but his eyes almost twinkled and the vague outline of a smile almost dared to peek out. "Coincidentally, whatever platoon we get will need NCO's from the ATTF. Luckily, I won the coin toss with Lieutenant Roberts. I only need to lose one sergeant. I chose Stanley." Will finished slyly.

Kazuki's inhaled sharply. His eyes widened as they snapped towards his commanding officer, silently accusing him of being a tease. One doesn't just tell, that their sergeant would be leaving, as if it were a common occurrence - for one it left a Sergeant slot open, amongst other things. No one let out information like that for no purpose, especially his wily platoon leader. Yet, he dare not hope. Even with Prince Lelouch as the ruler of Area Eleven, it would be unprecedented.

"So, there I was, thinking I'd be a Sergeant short whenever the new platoon decided to get here. Eventually, I came out with a list of names and submitted them for possible promotion. Boy, did Major Hopkins chew me out." Will paused and like usual read him like an open book, at least outside poker anyway.

"Yes, Captain Hopkins' promotion came as a surprise, but when you have royalty rooting for you, the Wolf no less, things like seniority don't mean so much. Anyway, as the story goes, the Major told me in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't accept any candidate for sergeant, besides one Kazuki Higa."

Kazuki was stunned. No Honorary Britannian had ever commanded a squad with pure blooded Britannians in it. Then again, no prince had ever knighted a Number either. His mind stumbled for a brief moment before he composed himself and said, "It's an honor, Sir - but I don't think I deserve it."

It was Lieutenant Wilkins turn to be shocked, as his eyes widened and his mouth for the briefest of moments resembled an 'o' of surprise.

"And why is that?"

"I screwed up, Sir. I made mistakes, I almost lost my fire team and I didn't have an exfil strategy or a plan B..." Kazuki continued to mutter one thing after another, his voice dipped with shame.

Unfortunately, he didn't notice the growing tick on his commanding officer's face as he enumerated his many faults. When Kazuki did finally finish, the Lieutenant resembled an angry bull, and exhaled just as loudly as one.

"Let me get this straight," He said, voice laced with venom. " You, Corporal Kazuki Higa, think that you screwed up?! How man bloody times do I need to tell you? You. Did. Good. We have at least fifty - that's five-zero – confirmed EKIA. With those kinds of odds, your fire team was lucky to have survived at all. As for an escape route? " Will let that information sink in for a moment.

"Help was on the way! That was your escape plan - and you knew it." He accused. "No, you made the right decisions based on what you knew at the time, and that's what counts. Don't blame yourself for Shiba or Sinclair. You had no control over their fates. You can replay the battle every night for the rest of your life, but know this, you're men didn't hold the line as long as they did because they thought you'd screwed up. They did their jobs and trusted you to do yours, and you know what? Everyone agrees that you went far above and beyond the call of duty." William said almost admiringly.

"Hell, you deserve a medal for your actions alone. But I doubt you'll get the medal you deserve, no matter what the Major says. That's why you're going to be a good soldier and accept this promotion, do you hear me, soldier?" Will finished in his best command voice.

"Sir, yes, Sir." Kazuki managed to mutter.

"What was that, Sergeant?" Will growled.

"I said, Sir. Yes. Sir." Kazuki said loudly despite his throat's desperate protest.

"Man up, Sergeant, I'm giving you third squad. Though, you have to recover from your wounds first, the Viceroy has already confirmed your promotion. You're going to be busy when you get to Tok-" A loud double tap on the door shattered Will's momentum, causing the man to snap his mouth shut.

When Kazuki glanced at the unwelcome intruder, he couldn't help but stare. There she was in her pristine uniform, perhaps it was even her real one. Her hair was silky brown this time and she wore a dazzling smile that could have dumbfounded the manliest of men.

"Lieutenant. Wilkins." Her soft voice said,. "The head nurse would like to speak with you." She said as her eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Captain McKnight," Will nodded in greeting. "Did she now?" He half-asked and half-wondered.

"Oh, indeed she did. I think she said something about revoking visiting privileges from certain brash officers that should know better." She finished charmingly, her eyes all the while danced with humor, as if she'd heard a silent yet funny joke.

Kazuki stared at his latest guest intently as she spoke, but he still couldn't quite believe he heard the tough as nails Lieutenant sitting beside him gulp, almost as if he was scared. Was the head nurse scary? He mentally shivered at the thought. Anything that could scare his LT should be enough to scare him too-

He made sure to mentally take note. He'd be here a while, after all.

"I'll be back, Higa. I still need to give you your marching orders for when you get to Tokyo." Will said as he hurried went out the door, not sparing another glance at his _other _visitor.

When Will was safely away, Captain McKnight quietly closed the door. She turned toward him, her dazzling smile transformed into an impeccable mask "I don't think we've been introduced, Corporal. Or is it Sergeant now?" She said somewhat teasingly.

"I seem to be at a disadvantage, Ma'am." Kazuki said somewhat hesitantly, not even bothering to wonder how she knew.

"Oh, aren't you a dear." She said, her voice momentarily captivating him as she strode towards him, like a cat stalking her prey. "For the record, Kazuki-kun, I'm Captain Katherine McKnight of the Viceroy's Special Intelligence Division."

"Nice to meet you, Ma'am." He replied as she inched forward. The intelligence officer walked forward as if she wasn't injured, but the telltale signs were there to the trained eye. She favored her right leg, and moved only steadily enough so as not to put too much pressure on the other. Small grimaces showed on her face when she no doubt suffered a jolt of pain.

She was a fighter, that was apparent from their little adventure in the city. Somehow, he couldn't help but admire the strong woman in front of him. He'd be admiring for a long time, if the way her uniform hugged her body was any indication. It seemed to showcase all her womanly curves, yet the uniform somehow managed to convey the woman's brilliance as well. His thoughts kept him distracted until she was right at his bedside.

"See something you like, Kazuki-kun?" She whispered softly.

"No, Ma'am" He stammered unconvincingly, cheeks heating abruptly.

"You're too easy to fluster, Kazuki-kun. That what makes you so interesting." Captain McKnight said. "But as much as I'd love to tease you, I came here for business. You impressed me during our night together. And what a night it was, don't you agree? Your skills surprised me of course, but who wouldn't be surprised after what you did to me."

Kazuki gulped loudly at the innuendos that rolled off her tongue.

"Sometime in the near future, when you're healthy and healed," She said. "I will need your services. Specifically, I may need a squad of men to watch my back. At that time, I will ask for your squad. I can't tell you what's it about right now, but do you think I can rely on your skills?"

"You'll have to clear it with my chain of command, but I don't see a problem." Kazuki managed to stammer out.

"Good." She said victoriously. A moment later she leaned down carefully until her face was inches away to his, "Ne, Kazuki-kun." She said teasingly.

Kazuki froze as she inched even closer, finally she stopped a mere hair's width away from his ear. "Get well soon, okay?" She muttered seriously, her warm breath sent tingles down his spine. She wasn't through though, and before he knew it he felt her lips on his cheek. It was full of hesitant affection, as if Katherine wasn't quite sure if she was doing the right thing.

Kazuki was in somewhat of a stupor at the whole series of events. It was highly inappropriate in so many ways, but he found to his surprise, that he liked it. Even if he could have been charged with a number of offences. Well, that wasn't accurate, she wasn't exactly in his chain of command. Still, he couldn't help but stare at her as she walked out without another word.

He was still coming to grips with the situation when Will came back, a little worse for wear, as if he had gone eight seconds with a rampaging grizzly. Before he got the chance to ask what happened, his commanding officer skidded to a halt.

Lieutenant's Wilkins expression changed from a beleaguered human, tired and beaten, to that of an astonished coyote like the cartoon's he'd scarcely watched at the Marquis' residence. Will's eyes were wide his mouth agape, his tongue almost dangled out. His finger pointed at Kazuki, accusingly, "Is that lipstick on your cheek, Higa?" He said with wonder in his voice.

Kazuki had enough frame of mind to rib his cheek. It didn't feel any different, yet when he inspected his hand there was a smudge of crimson on it. The exact same shade that Katherine wore, "Guess it was my lucky day, Sir." He admitted.

"Lucky day?" Will said out loud. "But you were with Kat..." His voice trailed off.

"Did Captain McKnight give you a kiss, Higa?" Will demanded suddenly, as if he'd pieced everything together.

"Yes, Sir." Kazuki answered hesitantly.

"Is that so." Will said disdainfully. It was so out of place with his normally laid back commander that Kazuki couldn't speak. Did Will have a thing for Katherine? Or perhaps his platoon leader frowned at inter-racial parings? He felt his luck suddenly turn for the worse and Kazuki couldn't help but sweat as the seconds ticked by in silence.

"Then I feel that it is my responsibility to inform you, Sergeant Kazuki Higa," Will said seriously. "That Captain Katherine McKnight, is very special to me. She's my younger sister in fact, and if you do anything to hurt her, I. Will. End. You." He finished with a glare.

"Yo-your Sister, Sir?" Kazuki found himself stammering yet again, yet for a different but no less dire reason.

"My half-sister, Higa. Now that my brotherly duty is over, I'd be careful about her, she can be a tad mischievous and overbearing. In fact, I'm sure you have no idea what you're getting yourself into." Will finished with a knowing smirk. "Now, onto real business. Evans' and Kondo are going to go to Tokyo with you. While you're recuperating from you injuries, you're going to be busy. You're duties will include..."

* * *

Lelouch was still playing catch up from his little jaunt at the Kururugi's. Who knew that two non-working days equated to four days of meetings, phone calls and pseudo-breaks? It was more tiring than dealing with the whole inheritance problem put together.

He still had to meet the JLF tomorrow. How much work was he going to have to make up after that trip? That wasn't a pleasant thought. He'd have to make sure to ask Edith to stock up on a particular brand of coffee. It tasted awful, but after a mere cup he'd feel up to the task of going toe to toe with a Knightmare.

"I could use some of that right now." He said wishfully to himself.

He had been looking at the reports from Osaka that Hector had brought in with him. Sure, he had browsed through them on his first day back, but it wasn't like there was anything time critical. He had merely confirmed the promotions, even Kazuki Higa's two grade jump - from acting corporal to sergeant. He figured that if numerous officers thought the Honorary Britannian deserved it, then who was he to argue?

He only glanced through his files after all, relying more on Hopkins assessments. He was the Viceroy, it wasn't his duty to worry about a mere private-turned-sergeant, even if he had handpicked the guy. Still, as he read on, he was impressed at what the recently promoted Sergeant had accomplished. Certainly a man to be watched.

The final count estimated around seventy plus enemy killed in action. That alone would have been a big blow to Kei's operation, but the terrorists had dropped the ball. They'd showcased a jamming ability that no one had known they'd had. At least next time the army would be prepared. Then there was the rescue itself - three Japanese civilians, one a Kenshiki turncoat, and an operative from his own special intelligence division.

The daily dispatches from Osaka city, had confirmed his initial conclusions. Kei had taken a body blow and was licking his wounds. He figured that there would be a drop in Kenshiki activity for a few weeks possibly a month at most. The man would need to build up his infantry strength again, he would probably have some time before he needed to spring his trap.

Still, the paperwork and files that were secured in the operation gave him a little flicker of hope. Perhaps he wouldn't need to lay a trap for the maniac, perhaps he could find him with the recovered information. But that was for another day.

* * *

An: Let me know what you think with a REVIEW and whether or not you like these in-depth looks into dauntless or more canon character themed sidestories. I would really appreciate any kind of feedback, so kindly _review._


	6. Harsh Lessons

**Harsh Lessons**

"Enemy Knightmares spotted." A voice spoke through the radio.

"What are we looking at?" Hector asked to himself, waiting for the scouts report.

"We have confirmation on sixty five - I repeat six, five - Sutherlands at grid papa November Charlie headed straight for you, Wulfric lead."

"Roger. Let me know if the rest of the stolen frames pop up." Hector replied.

At their current heading, he and the rest of the Royal Guard would make contact with the leading elements at just around four minutes. They were just a squad of five strong, yet they were tasked with holding the middle of the line. It was a gargantuan task, and Hector couldn't help but wish that the odds different. It was going to be a slaughter.

The squad was equipped with the Z-02 Lionel and with it the Kenshiki didn't stand a chance. The frames may have been a far cry from the Lancelot, yet compared to the approaching Sutherlands, the Lionel's would do just fine.

He watched his displays as the enemy formation inched closer. The enemy knightmares were closing in. They were spread out in a haphazardly drawn line with as many as three frames deep.

He had gone into combat time and time again, yet this time he felt anxious. He didn't know why. It wasn't as if the enemy were that much of a threat, the very formation they were using to approach was considerably _lacking_. It was as if there had been no thought to tactics at all. The sheer number of knightmares approaching could have used at least some imagination. Instead, it was as if the commander had said 'there's the enemy, charge' - like the medieval cavalry of old.

"Be advised, enemy has stopped their advance at a two thousand meters from our lines." The calm and collected voice stated the obvious.

It wasn't like he couldn't spot a five meter tall mech at under two kilometers. Still, it made no sense for the Kenshiki to stop, almost motionless just outside of engagement range. What were they waiting for? No. What was he waiting for?

"The is Wulfric lead to Rex. Requesting permission to engage." Hector said through the com.

"Go." His prince replied.

Once upon a time, that word would have resulted with a mad charge to meet the enemy. Today, they had the progression of technology on their side, "Prepare the longbows." He said to his squad.

He manipulated his Knightmare and carefully prepared his long range weapon. The longbow was a semi-automatic rail gun powered by the Knightmare's Yggdrasil drive. It was based on the Lancelot's VARIS. However, unlike the experimental weapon, it's capabilities were reduced resulting in a surprisingly energy efficient weapon. Sure, it might not have been able to tunnel through a mountain, but it could handle mundane vehicle armor just fine.

"Pick your targets." He said as the integrated combat system identified who was aiming for what.

It took a few short heartbeats before everything was ready. The Kenshiki may have known that the average chemical based assault rifles had an effective range of a little over a kilometer, but they didn't know that the longbow could reach way past that.

"Stand by. Three. Two. One. Fire." He commanded.

A moment later five distinct beams of emerald energy lashed out. It only took them a fraction of a second to reach their targets. They hit the unsuspecting Knightmares with destructive force. The armor that had once protected thousands of knights proved to be insufficient and the projectile continued on into the control module, obliterating the human pilot in a explosion of blood and guts. The hardened metal rounds continued on their ballistic paths, damaging or even destroying the frames behind them.

In only took a brief moment for their shots to reach their targets, yet that was all it took for the highly trained combat veterans of Lelouch vi Britannia's Royal Guard to fire on their next victims. A second later and more explosions screamed out as if there were a loud clarion call proclaiming that battle was joined.

The sudden loss of thirteen of their compatriots compelled the untried Japanese pilots to move frantically. The main body of Sutherlands wriggled and weaved, scattering under their rail guns' accurate and devastating power.

_It was in vain._

The Lionels picked off the Sutherlands one by one, like fish in a barrel. The outskirts of Osaka was open terrain and it gave the enemy almost no cover to hide behind. Their inexperience left them confused and vulnerable. They should have charged into close quarters and overwhelmed them with numbers, yet they didn't and that worried Hector. Perhaps he was being too cautious, but there were still some knightmares unaccounted for.

* * *

Suzaku monitored the battle a few kilometers away from within the safety of his Lancelot. He didn't know much about tactics, but even he could see that the Kenshiki were horribly outgunned. The battle was less of a fight and more of a one-sided massacre. Red dots blinked off his screen every few seconds, yet the enemy refused to retreat.

It just showed that the Kenshiki were just a ragtag group of radicals, adept at shooting helpless civilians but outmatched when it came to the military.. Not that it was surprising, without proper military training they were hardly a threat.

As he glanced back into his screens, he noticed with growing alarm that the battle had shifted. The mass of Sutherlands had finally decided to move. A little more than forty dots separated into two groups, moving in opposite directions. Two steady red curves were outlined on Suzaku's screen, angled to hit the guardsmen's flanks. It was a classic pincer maneuver and it seemed like it was executed flawlessly.

But if that were true, why had the enemy waited until now?

* * *

Hector cursed, the Kenshiki had suddenly decided to grow some brains. They were charging into the gap, braving the fire being sent their way. He was about to issue his orders when the earth shook violently again and again. The illusion of it being an earthquake lasted only for a few quick heartbeats as the ground in front of him exploded - showering debris everywhere.

He could hear his squad swear violently into the communications net, as they dodged the incoming shells. Not that he could blame them - someone had screwed up. "Battery Echo Niner! Check fire! You're shelling Knights!"

"Negative! Negative! We're still deploying guns. I repeat-"

Hector immediately tuned the soldier out. If this wasn't a case of friendly fire... Another shell dipped in front of him, the impact leaving a sizable crater before him. Whatever was firing at them, it sure as hell wasn't a common infantry mortar. No, none of that mattered. He was wasting precious seconds.

"Wulfric squad, follow me!" He yelled as he suddenly accelerated toward the group at their three o'clock.

He checked his combat displays, ensuring that everyone was following him. His sudden order had caught them off guard, but his team had been together a long time and had quickly followed the command. It wasn't long before he had a pair of Lionels on either side of him.

"Be advised, enemy has artillery. " Hector said, his voice momentarily reached out to every soldier in the area.

"What!? This day just keeps getting better and better." Roy's gruff voice said.

"Damn it, Roy. You know better than to tempt Murphy." Charles said a moment later.

Regardless of what his old friend had said, it seemed the barrage had tapered off as they closed on the enemy. He didn't have time to dwell on it though, as they crashed into the Kenshiki formation. They moved in a wedge, hitting the advancing Sutherlands with their slash harkens as they went. The guardsmen swept through the ranks in close formation. Their Maser vibration swords sung loudly and cut through anything that stood in their way. Any incoming resistance was met with their blaze luminous arm guards. It's protective shell was bright and powerful, proving too much for anything that was thrown their way.

Hector moved in a whirlwind, he slashed and parried - destroying and disabling the incoming frames. His other arm sped around as it blocked incoming attacks, his eerie barrier withstanding everything that came at him. He rolled his shield arm uncovering his chest and out came his slash harkens, striking at foes his sword could not reach.

His Lionel moved as if it was an extension of himself and it proved too much for the Kenshiki. He and rest of the guard moved through the Sutherlands like a unstoppable wave, leaving naught but wrecks in their wake.

They had moved through half of the cohort when the other enemy prong met up with them. The entangled enemy Knightmares released smoke and disengaged in an attempt to create distance. The Guard continued on their path, Amanda and Charles moving in reverse as they took up the rear guard. When they cleared the smoke, it became apparent that the Kenshiki were far from the ill disciplined foe he thought them to be.

They were encircled.

Yet it was the Kenshiki that was faltering, it was as if they had met a demon on the battlefield and had been found wanting. The RP-13's merely moved in a revolving circle, not a single one fired as they danced around them. Their hesitation was evident when he switched to his rail gun - it was subtle, but it was there. The enemy had moved out of formation for a handful of seconds. It was only visible to the trained eye but it spoke volumes - they were afraid.

Time seemed to drag on with the Kenshiki being so obliging, doing nothing but ensuring they couldn't get away. There was no bickering, no comments from anyone. The situation was tense, yet Hector couldn't help but think much of it, but it was as good a time as any, "Wulfric lead to Alpha group. Commence operation."

Twenty seconds later, sixty Knights popped up from their underground lairs. From various locations throughout the battlefield, they started shooting at the radical Knightmare pilots that surrounded them, the enemy was in chaos.

"Now!" They moved swiftly, firing as they went. They took advantage of the sudden confusion and made break for the nearest gap. The Sutherlands may have been inferior machines, but when you were surrounded with them - Ace or no, you tended to die.

When the first Sutherland exploded into a fireball, the command net screamed out. It wasn't in joy, no, it was in fear. Murphy had finally decided to rear its ugly face.

"This is Commander Alexander of the HMS Dauntless, the Indomitable was just hit by a torpedo. It's listing badly. My God! There goes the York..." Silence reigned for a few terrifying moments. "Prince Lelouch be advised the blockade fleet is currently engaged and is unable to provide support...Shit there goes the Pendragon."

Hector felt his stomach sink, in the span of seconds the Britannian navy had just lost at least a few thousand men. It was only when the thought was sinking it, when his cockpit rang with an incoming transmission.

"Captain Zimmerman," Suzaku said, his expression tense. "Make way to my current position at best speed. Leave the Kenshiki for the army. We're getting shelled by artillery, Rex took a hit and is unconscious." Suzaku paused, confirming Hector's worse fear. " Jeremiah is trying to get him out... through alternate means..."

Before Hector could open his mouth and argue, that the Royal Guard's job was to keep their liege lord safe. Suzaku continued on, "He'll get away incognito, we have contingency plans. I need your help - we need to buy the army time to mobilize."

"Mobilize against what?" He whispered as he dodged an incoming volley. A moment later he magnified his map display, enlarging it so it reached all the way across Osaka bay to Awaji Island. He was stunned, it was if the very ocean itself had turned into a sea of red, hundreds or perhaps thousands of red dots moved like a single mass seeking only to destroy Britannia. Knightmares moved from sea to land almost with impunity.

"Suzaku! You need to fall back." Hector growled. The situation was starting to resemble a disaster of unheard of proportions.

"Negative, we need to buy _time_." He replied unflinchingly.

He finally understood. They didn't need to buy time for the army, every second gained was for Lelouch. Suzaku was going to fight for every additional moment so that his friend could get away and Hector wasn't about to let him do it alone.

* * *

Suzaku swirled, attacking the enemy's Gun-Ru with his barrage of slash harkens. The Chinese-made Knightmare didn't have time to react before its shoulders were sliced off. By the time the shoulder, adorned with Japan's old national flag landed, Suzaku had finished the job, slashing his MVS sword through the cockpit and ending the Knightmare's existence in a blaze of fire.

He didn't get a chance to rest as another squad of Gun-Ru opened fire with their shoulder mounted machine guns. He dodged and braced the bullets, as he charged towards the enemy. He didn't bother with the energy extensive blaze luminous, every drop from his energy filler mattered.

He had been in constant contact for almost an hour. It was beginning to take its toll, not just for him, but for everyone. Lelouch's expensive seaside getaway was the command center for the anti-terrorist operation and he had left forty capable knights and platoons of infantry to defend it. Now, the defending units were a mere shell of their former selves.

As time dragged on, minute by minute, more friendly dots disappeared from his screen. The Army was taking a beating and reinforcements weren't expected. The capital itself, Tokyo was also under attack. Still, he had no other choice but to hold this position at least until Lelouch was safe.

He listened in as the enemy loud speakers spread its message again, spouting propaganda. "This is Sawasaki Atsushi, the former Chief Cabinet Secretary for Kururugi-dono. I have come from China, with the Japanese army in exile. Rise up against the Britannians! Together we can drive them out of our beloved Japan."

The development was surprising, but at least it explained the sudden Chinese presence in the area. He aimed his VARIS at the Frankenstein-like monster that carried a giant speaker system and a moment later the sniveling voice was silenced.

"Major Kururugi, shells are inbound. I request you move back five hundred meters." Someone said through the radio.

"Roger." Suzaku confirmed. Finally he wasn't quite alone anymore, now he had artillery support. He slashed at his nearest enemy and moved away a full throttle.

He had only managed to clear the blast area when one hundred fifty five millimeter shells rained down on the field, destroying anything they touched. Loud cracks rang off, leaving hot and deadly waves of concussive force in their wake. The aftereffects lifted a massive cloud of dust into the air, as if a sandstorm had suddenly appeared. It enshrouded everything from Suzaku's view but it gave him a brief and badly needed respite.

All too soon, it was over. The devastating fury of the barrage had barely slowed the advancing Knightmares. These so called Japanese seemed undaunted and continued to move forward. There was just no stopping their advance. They moved from the beach in a long line, Knightmares as far as the eye could see, firing as they went.

"My Lord, you're about to be encircled." Suzaku didn't bother acknowledging the voice as he glanced at his displays. How could he have missed that?

He fell back, firing off shots from his VARIS as he went, destroying a handful of Knightmares. But it all seemed futile. For every Gun-Ru he managed to destroy, it seemed that two more took its place. There was no stopping this unrelenting horde, and worse he knew it.

* * *

Charles struggled to keep up, Hector was moving at a blistering pace. They had just finished reinforcing another hole in the defensive line when the Captain went screaming off in another direction. This time, they were on a collision course with a particularly large concentration of Knightmares. Even if the Chinese made Knightmare was less capable then a Sutherland, the numbers alone meant that a lucky shot was bound to get off. The whole squad was in varying states of damage.

Still they continued on, firing with their longbows at range, then charging in with their single yet deadly vibration swords. Their kill count was astronomical, yet it came at a price - fatigue was starting to set in. They had been in continuous operation for over three hours, only stopping long enough to replace energy fillers.

They moved from position to position, often under fire, reinforcing the meager defensive line that the city's garrison had managed to hold. The guard often came in at the most desperate of moments, arriving in the nick of time to slaughter the enemy like cattle. Then there were the times when they were too late, taking cover between buildings or houses in order to provide cover for a retreat.

He had just fired his rail gun when he noticed Hector move his machine at a sharp angle, changing directions. One by one his comrades silently followed, banking sharply. The paved road screeched beneath him in protest at his high speed turn.

"Change of plans. Suzaku needs help. He's herding what's left of the ATTF back to friendly lines. They've been cut off. We're going to punch a hole for them." Hector informed them.

"About bloody time." Roy's voice came crashing into their cockpits, voicing his thoughts loudly. Prince Lelouch's Royal Guard didn't take orders from anyone, especially a pencil pushing officer. Still, Hector had caved and instead of immediately moving to reinforce the Knight of Honor, they were moved around on someone else's orders, putting out fires.

Silence followed Roy's comment. The whole squad was concentrated on fighting, dodging incoming attacks and taking out targets of opportunity as the moved toward their new target. The whole situation was surreal, they had never been in a battle like this before. They were always on the winning side, always fighting an outmatched force - they relied on Britannia's superiority.

The lesson was only magnified as they sped through countless streets and intersections. The burning wrecks of Sutherlands and other fighting vehicles littered the road. The loud roar of an artillery strike hitting nearby stopped him in his tracks.

He magnified the image of a lone skyscraper in the distance. The volley had left gaping holes in the building. Fire danced in its upper floors as smoke billowed. For a few moments he was entranced, then another streak came rushing down on the buildings position. The impact was loud and the sound reached him even in the protected confines of his cockpit.

"Charles! Come on." Amanda said loudly, as she shot a nearby Knightmare.

He was about to turn when, to his horror, the fifty story tower went crumbling down. It happened slowly, splintering in half from the gaping hole the artillery left behind. A massive cloud of debris seemed to suck the light in, blocking the crumbling building from view. It was for the better, he could almost feel the life being snuffed out. He paid it no more attention as he raced off after the others.

As he did, a cold, grim feeling gripped his entire being and he couldn't help but wonder if this was what the Eighteens had felt when they'd been invaded?

War was true misery.

* * *

Nick moved his Knightmare sluggishly. The battle was exacting its price on his Lionel as more and more shots from those freakish looking Chinese Knightmares got through. Still, even with a damaged frame, he still managed to keep up as they raced down the paved roads.

"Enemy targets directly in front, fire at will." Hector commanded.

He didn't need to be told twice and fired from range. His Longbow launched a bullet composed of dense metal towards his target, streaking toward the Chinese Knightmare in emerald light. A moment later it blew up in a shower of flame. Four more loud explosions quickly followed.

All too soon, the Knightmares were dealt with and they were moving again. He passed the ruined hulks of what used to be machines of war. The Gun-Ru was so unlike Britannian design, supporting shoulder mounted machine guns and double arm mounted projectile weapons. Not only that but every time they closed into melee only a three finger hand came in response. It was as if they didn't have any weapons meant for that range.

He followed behind Roy; they just need to crest a hill and they'd be in position to support Sir Kururugi. Hector reached the top first and didn't stop, charging down the hill like a seven ton elephant daring anything to get in its way. Roy followed quickly, mimicking Hectors charge.

When he finally crested the hill, the view would have been breathtaking- if it hadn't been littered with the smoldering bodies of Gun-Ru's. The Lancelot was in top form, dodging and moving at extreme speeds. It danced, fearlessly slicing into the enemy ranks as if it were bulletproof. It sowed confusion and destruction everywhere it went, giving him the gnawing feeling that the Knight of Honor could have singlehandedly won the battle.

Then the feeling was gone as Sutherlands and tanks fired from a deep ditch. The shattered army units took shelter from the barrage of metal that was sent their way. They were boxed in, explosions devastating the area around them.. They needed help. He didn't think twice before putting his Knightmare into high gear and charging down into the fray. He felt like a raging torrent, knowing nothing could stop him.

* * *

Suzaku continued to provide support to the beleaguered remnants that he had been leading in retreat. He cut through any opposition that dared to get too close, yet it seemed to be a losing proposition. It was as if the enemy had an endless supply of Knightmares.

Was this what was actually looked like? Unflinching combatants battering the other side into submission?

Perhaps it was. It was something he didn't have experience with. Like usual Lelouch, was shoving it down his throat. The taste was bitter. Still, that didn't change his current situation. As soon as Gottwald had confirmed his friend's safety, he had ordered a retreat from their position.

He couldn't help but feel it was the wrong move. The soldiers left in his care were no longer entrenched in easily defensible positions and were mobile. As more men were lost, it gnawed at him. It was like he was a child again, making claims he couldn't back up. Only this time, he wasn't the one paying for it.

His Knightmare staggered as he failed to dodge a volley. Luckily, his armor withstood the blasts, he moved swiftly to right himself. He was about to fire another rounds at an enemy that had strayed too close when a number of Gun-Ru's exploded nearby.

He didn't have the luxury of looking, but he swerved nonetheless and thrust one of his swords into an enemy frame. The enemy Knightmare was used as a shield momentarily, absorbing bullets for him as he took the chance to take a look up the hill.

It was a sight for sore eyes, the black and gray Lionel's came charging down like unstoppable juggernauts. He was sure the Wolf motifs painted on their shoulders sent chills down the enemy's spine.

After everything that had happened, from Lelouch getting hit to the chaotic retreat. Maybe, things were starting to look up.

* * *

Hector watched the last of the vehicles get through the corridor they had created. It was bittersweet because they still needed to buy them time to escape. That wouldn't have meant much normally, but it was as if the enemy was angling all available forces toward their position.

Gunships squadrons came in at random intervals, firing showers of missiles at them. Barrages of rockets came crying out of the heavens as if they'd come all the way from China. Then there were the enemy Knightmares themselves. Everywhere you looked, there seemed to be a Gun-ru, encircling them and ensuring that they couldn't escape.

"Boy, we could really use a miracle right now." Roy muttered between explosions.

"Fresh out, I think." Amanda replied cheerfully despite the situation.

"Anyone have any good ideas?" Hector asked urgently as he dodged an incoming missile.

"Fight our way through?" Suzaku's hesitant voice asked.

"It's not going to work. Every time it looks like we might make a break for it, they reinforce their lines and artillery starts pounding our escape route." Hector replied calmly, as if he wasn't maneuvering a complex machine.

"Do you have any other ideas then, Captain?" Nick asked curiously over the radio.

"No." He replied reluctantly. "Okay, here's what we're going to do..."

* * *

Roy banked hard to the right, narrowly avoiding a Anti-KMF missile. Hector's plan had seemed to work for the first few tense minutes. But it soon turned out that, regardless of the direction they tried to punch through, there would always be Knightmares emblazoned with that infuriating bright red circle of Japan, waiting to pounce.

What was worse, their energy fillers were being drained steadily. Pretty soon, skill or no, they'd be run down. It was only a matter of time. Still, he had no regrets - he'd had a good run. Though, if he was certain that everything was about to end, maybe he could buy the rest of them time to retreat. Heroic sacrifice wasn't really his style, but maybe just this once he could give it a try.

Without a word he did an about face and charged at the pursuing Knightmares. He ignored everyone's alarmed shouts and continued on. The message was clear, 'go without me'

It only took him a handful of seconds before he was neck deep in enemy combatants. He slashed with his sword and his slash harkens whipped out, destroying or crippling his targets. He continued to charge, hoping that he could keep their attention on him long enough for the rest to break free. He ignored defense and tried to sow as much chaos as he could, dragging a Gun-Ru in with his harkens and crashing it into another. Kicking the legs off of another. Dodging fire and ensuring that an offending Knightmare would catch it.

He was in his element.

If they really were _Japanese,_ they didn't stand a chance. As if they read his mind, the enemy backed off, giving him a few meters of breathing room. He was about to rush in toward the closest one when he heard it, "Nippon Banzai!"

One of the frames charged straight at him. It happened so fast that Roy reacted instinctively and thrust his sword forward. The offending frame caught the blow with its body, but its three fingered hands moved to trap the blade. A moment later his Knightmare jostled as another Gun-Ru latched onto him, from behind. Then another came sliding down to secure his legs.

He couldn't move, he just didn't have the leverage. Did the enemy want to capture the Lionel? Then suddenly he heard the whistling sound of incoming howitzer shells. He couldn't help but stare as it streaked right toward him.

He smiled and a moment later his cockpit jostled violently, the turbulence kicking him in every direction until it finally stopped and everything was still. His screens and readouts went pitch black and finally it came out in its bloody crimson, "Simulation Ended."

He pressed down on the release lever and the loud hiss of escaping oxygen assaulted his ears. The hatch opened quickly, the bright light from the other side passed through the opening, illuminating his now dead cockpit.

With one swift move he exited the expensive piece of machinery. The room was exactly how he had left it four hours earlier, brightly lit and full of exquisite and valuable displays. A handful of simulators continued to rumble around him. Good, at least he had bought Hector some time.

He glanced toward the front of the room and found, to his surprise, that Lelouch was at one of the side tables, merely looking over paperwork while occasionally glancing at the readouts in front of him. If he wasn't the man pulling the strings then who was? He glanced towards the master control suite and found himself staring down the bewitching amber gaze of Lelouch's mistress.

She raised one of her delicate green eyebrows as if to say, 'well?' like she was some kind of stern English teacher asking where his homework was.. When C.C. was sure the point was made, she turned back to her task, one hand typing at inhuman speeds while the other cuddled a orange plush toy. She was defeating them with one hand? That was just too much.

"Roy, why don't you take a seat. " Lelouch said quietly, breaking his incredulous gaze. He had seen some unbelievable characters in his life, but C.C., or whatever her name really was, definitely qualified.

"Sure." He moved toward the seat farthest from the devil-lady with emerald hair. When she wanted to, that woman could be terrifying.

* * *

Hector existed the mock-cockpit swiftly. He took a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow and sighed. Roy's loss had lead to a cascade of failures which had quickly led to them dying one by one. But he didn't have time to reflect on his mistakes. Somehow, he had to go look Lelouch in the eye now and tell him that he'd messed up – that he could have done better and that he shouldn't have hesitated in taking charge,

but it didn't happen that way.

Lelouch was already watching him, gesturing that he should take a seat with the rest of his squad. Amanda was still in the simulation, but everyone else was sitting around a small table nibbling on . . . rice balls? It looked like Lelouch's chef was experimenting, and if his prior dinners were anything to go by, those delicious morsels that Nick seemed to be chomping down on with gusto would only bring him to nirvana.

It was only when he was halfway down the cavernous room that he noticed Lelouch wasn't at the controls. He glanced and froze in his tracks. Those amber eyes looked straight through him, silently judging him. He knew that C.C. was disappointed. She'd made it abundantly clear that her darling Lelouch was to be protected at all costs and he'd failed.

She raised her eyebrows questioningly before her expression morphed into that of a cat stalking her prey. It was as if she was asking 'anything to say for yourself, mighty Ace pilot?'. He ignored her and continued on his path. He wasn't about to play her game, not when he was dead tired. Besides, she would probably drive him insane if he gave her half the chance, literally.

Everyone gave him a nod as he took his seat; there was no need for formality here. The mood was sober. Their Prince was sure to have at least a few words to say to them and none of them good, he feared. So he did the only thing he could do as they waited for Amanda to finish with the simulation: he ate a ball of rice. It wasn't like anything he had ever had before, it almost made losing worth it.

Almost.

* * *

Lelouch lead his pack down the hallway into one of the Villa's larger dining rooms. The fortune he'd spent converting one of his garages into a Knightmare simulator arena seemed well spent.

He'd been hesitant at first, but it was Abigail of all people who urged him to go for it. His charming-when-she-wanted-to-be wife had said in no uncertain terms, 'Do it. You're going to be piloting those Lionels too so better be sure you get your practice in.' That would have been the end of it, yet she added one more reason, 'I'm sure you'll have fun too'. It seemed that his wife was getting to know him more then he liked. It was dangerous and endearing all at the same time.

He entered the room and seated himself without any preamble, gesturing for everyone else to sit opposite of him. The six Knightmare pilots sat themselves cautiously, as if there were some wild animal lurking in the shadows waiting to take a bite out of them. Suzaku and Hector exchanged a subtle glance and sat themselves in the middle with more confidence then he thought they had. The little traces of shame were evident, if one knew where to look.

Once everyone was seated, silence followed. He let the silence hang for almost a minute, letting the tension mount. Then finally he smirked, "Well that was fun, wasn't it?" He asked to no one in particular.

"Chef White has prepared another one of her scrumptious meals for us, which I'm sure everyone is waiting for, but this is a working lunch."

As if it were scripted, C.C. came strutting through the door with a bang, like she owned the place. Von Hoffman followed hot on her heals, sporting a blush a few shades too red. Whatever the witch had said to his engineer had undoubtedly embarrassed the middle-aged man.

The two sat themselves right next to him, his engineer was hesitant until he glanced at his direction. He didn't notice everyone's reactions, but he did catch Hector's. For a brief moment the blond haired man had a frown on his face, as he had eaten something that didn't agree with him. Not that he could blame him, Lelouch had orchestrated every detail of this scene. He was sure that in the Captain's mind, this looked like, at the very worst, a closed military tribunal or, at the very best, a review board.

The whole thing was meant to amplify the impact of his words, so he cleared his throat loudly to get the show on the road. It grabbed everyone's attention, as it was meant to. In reality, it was more than a cough; it was a signal for von Hoffman to hand him the moderate stack of documents he had discreetly carried into the room.

At the sight of the documents, the guards' eyebrows rose. In surprise or fear, Lelouch didn't know. The stylized font looked a little like the termination papers high ranking officers received. He may have left some littering the simulation room over the last few days.

"Denvers," Lelouch said, handing a folder to Nick. Military discipline prevented his youngest guard from taking a quick peek. He continued on giving everyone a folder until there was one left. "Finally, Zimmerman." He said with finality as he handed a folder to Hector. Unlike all the others, this one contained a handful of pages.

One by one, their faces fell as they received documented proof of their shame. Even Suzaku was sporting a frown. It was too much, despite the serious situation he could barely hold his grin in check. "You can look at those later." He said, pausing to let the tension build. "First, I want to congratulate you on a job well done. You all performed admirably and exceeded my expectations."

As soon as the words left his mouth, looks of confusion ran rampant along the opposite side of the table.

"Those folders you have in your hands contain my in-depth analysis on what you did right and wrong during the whole operation." He said as he watched their expressions morph into relief. Lelouch bit down a grin and continued on, "It's not like I had anything better to do. Maybe next time, instead of leaving me to watch, I can actually participate?" Lelouch asked archly.

As everyone glared at Hector, he shared a discreet smile with Suzaku. His friend saw the humor in his eyes. It wasn't fair, requesting that Suzaku join them but not him? He could have come up with a variety of reasons, like that he'd paid for the expensive machines, or he was their prince. But the truth of the matter was he wasn't an Ace, he was a Tactician and he needed all the squad based sim time he could get.

Lelouch laughed loudly, "It's time to get down to business. Von Hoffman, if you want to start."

"Yes, your highness..." He got as far as that before Lelouch cut him off with a glare. "For the record, the next person to call me anything but Lelouch doesn't get to eat." Lelouch said in mock-seriousness

It caused a few laughs and chuckles. It got the job done, cutting through the tension like a hot knife through butter. Lelouch motioned for von Hoffman to continue.

"I was running numbers for the simulation, but I had to run out and check for even more numbers." The graying man said. "For one, I want to emphasize that the Longbows haven't been field tested. It's performance is all based on VARIS data. Sure, it's been fired a few times in the lab, but we don't know how it'll do in a real battle. Other smaller details are in my report on the last page in those folders. Any questions? "

It was Charles who spoke up, "Is it possible to fashion modular weapon packs for the Lionels? Like we had in the old Sutherlands. Having a choice of weapons for different situations would be nice."

"Why don't you and Hansel put your heads together and come up with a few proposals for me, Charles." Lelouch said to get the ball rolling. His subordinates glanced at each other and nodded in confirmation.

He could feel C.C. tapping her foot beside him. She was getting impatient and that couldn't be good.

"Moving on, Hector and Suzaku, the two of you will be taking a crash course in military tactics. The simulation has only made it all the more evident; Ace pilots you may be, but tacticians you are clearly not." Lelouch held up his hand to stop the deluge of complaints he was expect, but none came.

"Your hesitation to take charge of the situation cost you big in the first opening minutes. If it had been real, you would have been partly responsible for the deaths of thousands. You no longer have the luxury," Lelouch paused ensuring he had their complete attention. "of staying back and waiting for orders. Sometimes you will have to take charge, to exploit weaknesses as you see them. You have to be leaders. This goes for all of you, someday the horrors of war will reach us in our homes, we must be prepared.

"Since, you appear to be in agreement, " He stated as they both nodded reluctantly. "let's move on."

The grim expressions that were painted on their faces meant that they had learned their lesson. There would be no argument from them. Good, they needed to improve and prepare for the days ahead. Hector at the very least should have been able to take control of the field, but he hadn't and he'd hesitated, causing simulated men to die. He'd relied on other officers, no doubt it was due to his time as a ordinary soldier, but it was a habit that needed to be squashed. They needed to be more then soldiers now. Duty demanded it.

"That was surprisingly easier than expected. Nick," He said getting the wealthy man's attention. "I just want to say that you belong here and that I expect you to inform your superior the next time your machine is that sluggish. It's a testimony to your piloting skills that you were still able to function, despite the damage to your machine. You may be the youngest and least experienced, but that doesn't mean you don't belong in my Royal Guard. Remember that."

Nick seemed to sit a inch higher and his shoulders straightened. His posture relaxed after his remarks. He was the youngest out of the assembled guardsmen and he had been giving off small minute signs that had caused him to over compensate.

"Amanda, your next." Lelouch said suddenly, watching the woman's expression. Her eyes widened in surprise, then she mentally caught herself and grinned sheepishly. "Please take the sims more seriously next time. Watching you smirk as you compared your kill count to Roy's was entertaining but still, try to tone it down a notch. I know for a fact that you're not like that in real combat."

"Roy! I don't want you doing anything reckless in the field. Alright? " Lelouch stared into the man's brown eyes, confirming that he understood his sentiment. Roy may have understood, but Lelouch knew that didn't change a thing.

"Charles, I don't need to give you a lecture or any tips. All you have been Knights longer than I. Just don't give me a reason to visit your family, please. I don't want to look in your daughter's eyes and tell her that her father died protecting me."

"Now that hard part is over, what do you think of the simulators? " Lelouch said as he pressed down on a button.

As everyone began to discuss to exercise, his Japanese maids came in carrying carts of mouth watering food. It turned out his chef, Samantha , had taken note of everyone's preferences. He watched as plate after plate of food was piled on the table. Then finally, one of his maids came in with a box from Pizza hut. C.C assuredly eyed the box with anticipation, it was like a fact of life that the green haired witch would always like pizza.

He met her eyes, and that damnable Cheshire grin was plastered on her face. But this time she had earned her reward. It was a small price to pay to teach his men that they weren't invulnerable despite all of their advantages, that real war could burn everything to ash. To him, Area Eighteen hadn't been true war, it was more of a skirmish. Sure, civilians had died, soldiers had died - but it did not compare to the invasion of Japan.

The constant sound of explosions for days on end, innocents running to get away. Fires burning in every corner. Smoke billowing in the distance, not knowing where the enemy was. The memories still ran deep, they were etched into his very soul.

* * *

Amanda drove fast in her red sedan, staying on her Captain's tail as they drove to Tokyo's military hospital. It was a test of skill to keep pace with Hector even something as mundane as a car. The man seemed to control it unusually well. He could have been a race car driver in another life for all she knew.

The whole expedition had started when Hector announced that he was going to visit his brother. Roy being Roy had decided to tag along. That would have been the end of it until Charles said it would be a good chance to get to know their new squad member. When Charles asked her, she merely nodded. She just couldn't say no to that man. Of course, Nick jumped at the chance to talk to the new rookie.

It would hopefully be a positive in their day of defeat. Lelouch had decided to make a point and it had some of them in low spirits. Perhaps it was something that they should have already known. The Prince had made good points as the lunch had dragged on. It was kind of sad really. Lelouch was so young and yet so full of heartbreak.

It was true that they had never faced an enemy on equal footing, but C.C had brutally emphasized how close they were to the Chinese Federation during the exercise. The ruined hulks of burning Sutherlands and crumbling buildings would remind her of what could happen if she failed.

She'd been naive. The Chinese Federation was as big as the Empire, yet she had never once thought they'd come to blows. At least not before they had a overwhelming advantage. To make matters worse, she didn't even know their Knightmare's capabilities. She was lucky that the Captain had briefed them on what he knew. Still, the whole simulation had proved a point; what if there really were disgruntled Elevens lurking in wait in China?

That thought gave her pause. Gone were the thoughts of invincibility. She found that it gave her added motivation. She now knew her country could lose. It just made her all the more passionate about her duty.

She followed Hector into the hospital's parking lot and parked her car right next to his. She took her time getting out. It was an excuse to watch. The show started when Charles came rumbling through on his motorcycle, his leather jacket hugging him like a second skin and his well defined scar visible on his neck. She admired him for a few brief moments through her side mirror before following Hector into the hospital.

* * *

Lukas was channel surfing, there never seemed to be anything good during this time of day. Still, it was better than what he'd been doing earlier. Even though he was still recovering from rounds of skin grafts, they had deemed him well enough to start mental evaluation. A mandatory session with his psychiatrist wasn't all sunshine and daisies no matter what the nurses said. Being forced to talk about feelings sucked. He refused to do it. Still, the wily doctor was beginning to wear him down with the constant questions. It was only a matter of time, but he wasn't about to give up without a fight.

He finally settled on the local news. It seemed that the media were still replaying Lelouch's little speech at the executions. Analysts from all over were attempting to dissect each sentence up to the point he pulled the trigger. It was hilarious how one show was hinting that perhaps the reason the Viceroy had pulled the trigger himself was because that he was having a forbidden love affair with Euphemia. The analyst was using spotty details that seemed to add up on paper, but were quickly dismantled by more reasonable minds. The theory was labeled absurd and the rest of the media was using that clip as a comedy piece.

"You can't go in there!" Nurse Grayson's voice pierced through his thoughts.

Ha, someone was about to get it. That nurse was really the least hospitable health care worker he had ever had the privilege of knowing (even counting his sister) and it had nothing to do with keeping him in bed, no matter how healthy he was.

"Visiting hours aren't for another thirty minutes!" He heard the voice squeak in indignation.

The voice kept getting louder and louder as it travelled down the hall, whoever she was talking to didn't seem to be listening. It was strange that the guards hadn't come running to the nurse's aid yet. The door nudged open and he couldn't help but smile.

His brother had finally come to visit. He was decked out in a cape with the prominent wolf's head motif on it, the uniform of one of Lelouch vi Britannia's guardsmen

"Heya Luke," He paused and eyed stern auburn haired woman on his side. "Alison was it? I'm under orders from the Viceroy to brief my brother. If you don't mind, I'd like to get to it." His brother said pleasantly, as if he were discussing the weather and hadn't just invoked Prince Lelouch's authority in the conversation.

"If you must, Captain Zimmerman, but make sure he stays in bed or we will have words." The nurse said, retreating after the parting shot.

Hector stepped through the threshold hesitantly, then Roy peeked out from the door and moved in a plastic bag filled with who knew what in hand. He was about to greet his older brother when to his shock, Lyons joined them. Then Simpson and finally Denvers. He swallowed audibly and could feel a bead of sweat drop from his forehead. The entire Royal Guard was in one place. Had something happened? He was still in rehab but if he was needed, to hell with his health.

"How you doing? Roy has some steak for you, fresh from Chef White's kitchen." Hector said, quelling his fears somewhat. "I'm sure you remember Amanda, Charles and Nick." He gestured towards them.

It wasn't long before everyone was seated. Hector placed his delicious aromatic steak with mashed potatoes on his tray. Lukas knew better then to grab it, so he waited patiently for his brother to get to the point.

"So, we just came from Lelouch's villa. He installed a simulator room for us to use. Top of the line, I'd be surprised if anywhere but the academy has one better." Hector muttered unsure of how to continue.

It was Roy who came to the rescue, "We got our asses kicked, even with the new Knightmares. The Viceroy was trying to teach us a lesson, he said." The rest of the party nodded soberly at the second in command's statement.

"Lesson? Wait..new _Knightmares!_?" Lukas managed to get out.

"It's nice to see you have your priorities are straight, Lukas. " Charles chimed in. "I hope to see you with us soon. But as for the lesson, even if you haven't seen real Knightmare combat, I don't think you'll need a refresher course," He gestured towards his bandaged arm. "I think the exercise hit us all differently, but it all meant something to us. The new frames made us feel too invincible."

"And what a mean looking machine it is." Nick commented.

"Stop teasing our rookie, Nick. You're just glad that you won't be the on the bottom anymore." Amanda teased.

Lukas hadn't really understood the little saying 'a little laughter goes a long way', until now. Perhaps he would fit in, "So what new Knightmare?" He asked curiously.

"Nope." Hector said.

"Can't tell you" Roy continued after a second. It was kind of strange, he couldn't figure out why but he did know that they were definitely teasing him.

"Finishing each other's sentences now? How cute. " He retorted.

Amanda giggled, it must have been unusual because the rest of the group was looking at her as if she had grown another head. "You alright, Amanda?" Charles asked.

"Just make sure our two commanding officers don't do that ever again. I mean, " she bit back another giggle, "it's unbecoming. I dare you to do it in front of our prince."

Apparently that mental picture got them somewhere, as Lukas found everyone but him hiding smirks. He didn't get it but that wasn't important right now. He coughed loudly. " Knightmares?"

"Finish your food and I'll show you the specs, Luke." Hector ordered.

Lukas ate slowly, savoring every tiny bite. It wasn't everyday he got the pleasure of eating something that actually tasted good. He swore that the hospital food would drive him mad before the boredom did. As he ate, he listened intently as the Royal Guard traded stories about this or that. From Amanda's twin sister to Roy's new addiction to late night television, it gave him a sense of belonging that he'd never quite felt during his time as a regular knight. Before he knew it, he had finished his meal.

"So, I'm trying to learn Japanese by reading a book and one of Lelouch's maids walk by and mutters something. I only caught a word or two, but my skills must be so bad because she keeps calling me a perverted idiot. I was wondering why, so I skipped ahead a few dozen pages and boy, some of those Britannian to Japanese books in the library aren't for children. Who has a translation book for sleazy pick up lines, I mean come on."

A round of laughter followed Hector's tale. Then his brother finally glanced at him and, with a nod, retrieved a folded piece of paper from his pocket. Lukas didn't hesitate and snatched it from his Hector's hands, surprisingly his brother let him. He read line after line, trying to picture the Knightmare. The details made his mouth water. Needless to say, he couldn't wait to get his hands on one.

"So when can I pilot one?" He asked out loud.

It was Nick who answered first, "When you get out, I think. Depends on Lelouch." The man finished and looked into Roy's eyes. The silent communication must have succeeded because after a moment Roy started talking.

"That is, of course, after you finish the required six hundred hours of simulator time." Roy paused and let the information sink in. "You get an hour credit for every ten hours spent in a Sutherland, so I'm sure you just can't wait to start your training right, Lukas? Don't feel bad, Nick barely manage to scrape through the requirements the first time we took 'em out. Though the old man had plenty of time to spare."

"Gilderoy." Charles growled.

"So, Luke. Get well soon so you can experience for yourself what fighting against that monstrous vixen is truly like. C.C likes to put wrenches in the preloaded scenarios. " His brother finished, he wasn't quite sure, but it looked like his brother was looking forward to that moment with a certain amount of glee.

He couldn't help but sigh. There went his hopes and dreams. Six hundred hours was just plain insane. He hoped they were joking.

"It's time for me to go, I'm going to visit Higa while I'm here." Amanda said as she bid farewell. She left a moment later, Nick in tow.

"So, Hector heard anything from our sister..." He said by way of conversation.

* * *

C.C. strode into Lelouch's study, Cheesy-kun in hand. She moved directly toward her target and took a seat on his desk. Lelouch was busy studying a file and didn't even bother to glance her way. She waited patiently, two could play this game. Unlike the boy prince, she had eternity.

As minutes passed and Lelouch continued to leaf through pages, she finally got impatient . Just because she had forever didn't mean she would wait that long. She dove on the desk, sprawling across it and sending files flying everywhere.

That finally got a reaction, a raised eyebrow. Her Prince was getting better at this game. "Lelouch~" She singsonged.

"Yes, C.C.?" He said unflinchingly as he looked into her eyes. It looked liked her contractor was busy, not that had ever stopped her before. Still, she was here for business, mostly.

"You're Royal Guard are far from the battle hardened warriors you make them out to be." She said, getting to the point.

"They've never been on the defensive, but they're hardly novices." Lelouch replied.

"Sooner or later, Lelouch, you will be on the defensive. This place will bear the scars of your ambition. What will happen then? Will they still be your loyal servants? Will they be ready to fight the horde that you're no doubt going to provoke?" She pondered.

"They will be ready. You've taught them a valuable lesson after all."

* * *

An: Written for Allora Gale's Birthday, the request was Royal Guard centric - Hopefully this meets the grade. Most of this was written in a two day sit down, so quality can be a bit iffy at places, I think. I would have released it sooner but work kept my busy. Oh And thanks again to my Beta and everyone I asked feedback from. Don't forget to Review, to let me know what you think because a little feedback goes a long way to making my day.

_Review_


	7. The Story Continues, A C94 Companion

A.N C94 made me want to write something so much, that I put my current sidestory project on hold. For anyone wondering It's twenty pages and counting. It's about halfway done?

Anyway, I decided to Split this into two parts, seeing as I seem to be getting more and more work. Not to worry the other though, half of this already has several scenes finished. With luck I'll have it in June? Motivation can be a bit of a pickle sometimes, but I'll get it out as soon as I can - seeing as Dauntless only has so many chapters left.

Thanks again to my Beta and her cats.

* * *

Janelle had done it. She had passed the first leg of her journey. It had been full of turbulence but when the drill instructor had announced her next station would be infantry school, she was happy. It might have just been in Area Eleven, far from the prestigious elite Fort Agincourt, the home of the infantry that she dreamt of as a child, but it was still an accomplishment. Sure, to some it may have been the slums but that was what the infantry was all about and it was just the beginning. To her it was a gateway to the special forces or maybe even command.

She was happy. There was nothing that could destroy this achievement or ruin her day. Even her family had driven all the way to the base to celebrate her accomplishment. As her mother and father chatted on and on about how proud they were, she couldn't help but glance around. There was an entire company of recruits turned soldiers yet she could easily spot Wallbridge, she irritatingly stood out with that bright red hair of hers. It seemed the she was talking to another teenager, probably her boyfriend or something, no doubt a loser - it didn't matter to her. She was free of the sympathizer's idealistic outbursts. Others milled around with family or friends, it wouldn't take too long for the crowd to disperse.

Kasumi, or rather Private Watabi, was at the far end of the field with a scruffy looking teenager, an older brother or a lover maybe. It would make carrying out her plans harder; the Eleven had been alone the last time she'd checked. Janelle needed to make a point to congratulate her and maybe swallow her pride and apologize. It would be empty but if the woman's star rose it didn't hurt to be a little bit nicer to the Eleven. In time she'd figure out if the Number was worth of her friendship, if nothing else she had her respect.

"Jane, do you have time to go home?" Her father asked.

"Sorry Papa, I don't think I can. I need to report back to the barracks in two days." She responded. "Besides there's no need for you to drive me back. Can we just have a family dinner? This might be the last time we see each other for some time."

Her father nodded, smiling that bitter smile of his; giving in to the inevitable. She wasn't his little girl anymore.

"My word, what's happening over there." Her mother pointed.

The commotion started like a drop of water in the bottomless ocean but it quickly turned into a massive wave as it rippled outward. The noise increased in pitch and at the center of it all was Wallbridge. Janelle wasn't surprised. That childish bitch was always acting like she was something special - like she was better than the rest of them.

Wait. Was she kneeling? That was rich. Was she paying homage to her sponsor? A noble perhaps? But she couldn't see any of the fancily dressed highborn that were a common sight in Tokyo.

That's when she heard it. The Viceroy was here.

She glanced back at Kasumi, but she and her companion were still alone, like a lone islet in the endless ocean. Janelle looked everywhere, right and left until she glanced back at the red haired devil and she wasn't the only one..

Everyone was staring at Kallen, or rather the teenager that she was with. The one she had written off as inconsequential. The scarf and cap did much to hide his features, but all the stares and whispers weren't coincidental. The realization hit her like a wall of bricks, the Wolf of Britannia was before her for the second time in her life.

Why was he here? For Wallbridge? But that didn't make any sense! It was Kasumi he had used as an example, not the bratty girl pretending to be a soldier. Why was she kneeling? Janelle felt her mind running a mile a minutein a hundred different directions. It just couldn't process what she was seeing and time wasn't on her side.

"By my right as an heir to the throne, I, Lelouch vi Britannia, Eleventh Prince of the Empire, accept your pledge and recruit you into my Royal Guard, where you will see your oaths fulfilled." Prince Lelouch said loudly, enough for everyone on the field to hear.

No, that was impossible.

"Wow, Janelle. She was in your training platoon right? Must be something to be recruited right out of basic." Her mother whispered to from her side.

As her mind tumbled, her instincts took over and she responded to her mother's voice, angling her head to face her mother. Janelle almost didn't hear the gasp of surprise.

"Jane, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

She wasn't alright. Her world was crumbling around her. She couldn't help but look at the target of her ire, to stare and hope the girl melted before her very eyes. It didn't happen. Instead, the newly minted guardsmen looked back at her and for a brief moment their eyes met. Wallbridge smirked - it was like the she-demon was laughing back at her.

* * *

Kasumi loved the barracks. It was better than her family's house. There were no leaks for one and food was in an abundance a short walk away. She had been given a few days liberty to rest and recuperate before the next leg of her journey as a soldier for the empire started. She was using her time wisely. Some spent it out on the town, but there was nothing for her there but more scorn and hate.

She preferred to rest while she could. There was no knowing what the next week would bring. It was a time to reflect as well. Kallen, the guardian angel that she hadn't wanted or needed was a direct vassal of the Viceroy. It was shocking but in a way it made perfect sense. The prince valued the spitfire of a woman for some reason. It was the only reason their platoon had gotten off so light and why their drill instructor didn't do more. Because, for all intents and purposes, she couldn't and it had just made the sergeant angrier as time dragged on.

Before signing up, she had heard about the horror stories of Honorary Britannians joining the military, about how one misstep would see her recycled over and over until they were fed up with her. That's why she hd done what every honorary member of the empire had; she'd kept her head down. She could endure almost anything for a steady paycheck, like so many members of the military before her, her family depended on it. She had never imagined herself breezing through basic, or advanced training for that matter, but her most pessimistic estimates were off.

All because of Kallen. The girl was too idealistic and stubborn. More hindrance than help, she didn't understand the status quo at all and that scared her.

Kasumi knew they were bound to get heavily disciplined as the number of incidents had risen, heck she practically wanted to get recycled. Getting sent to a week one or two training platoon was way better than having to face the day to day drama of her platoon. Yet, it hadn't happened, even as things had escalated. It had taken an act of the Viceroy to get everybody on the same path, like a real military outfit.

Still, she was finally free of Kallen, but the question was for how long? Lord Kururugi had told her to keep doing what she was doing and that she had potential, but for what? Had she caught the prince's eye like Kallen? No, she couldn't afford to think like that. That was pure fantasy. There was no use in speculating about what ifs, she'd known that from a young age. Now, wasn't the time to believe in fairy tales.

The door to the barracks opened, a glance in that direction revealed someone marching her way and that someone had a lot of chevrons, a first sergeant maybe. The thought had only just passed through her brain before instinct and habit took over; there may not have been a command but better safe than sorry. She stood at attention in front of her bunk, just like she had been told on the very first day of basic.

The echoes of the boots hitting the polished floor, screamed out in the silence. Tap, tap, tap... over and over until the man was in front of her. He had an eagle eyed look and gave her the once over, before asking. "Are you Watabi?"

"Sir, yes, sir." She responded out of reflex.

"Do, I look like an officer to you, Private?" The Sergeant asked menacingly.

"No, First Sergeant." She corrected after a brief glance at his chevrons.

"Good. Major Santiago wants to see you in his office yesterday, Private. I suggest you get moving." He said ominously.

It looked like her luck was beginning to turn for the worse. Not that she was surprised.

* * *

"I'm faced with a conundrum, you see. I'm supposed to hand you maggots over for advance training, but I can hardly do that with a clean conscience. You see, privates, I could never look Lt Col. Jameson in the eye knowing that your training was lax." Said Major Santiago amusingly.

"All of you are a stain on my honor. It reflects horribly on my command and the tradition of this Company. Luckily for me, and perhaps unluckily for you, there's no 800 pound gorilla dressed like the Viceroy to stare me down any longer. I'm finally able to remedy the situation. Heck, I could probably have the whole lot of you discharged to save me the trouble of rehabilitation."

There was no anger in his voice, no threatening gestures. In fact, it looked like the Major was talking about nothing more important than the Sunday crossword puzzle. But the veteran officer noticed that the gathered rookies had reacted. It was subtle, but the signs were there. The atmosphere became tangibly tense as they stood at attention, hanging on to his every word as if their very lives were at stake. It was in their posture, tense and defensive.

"Luckily for me, there's still time to turn the lot of you into proper soldiers. Since New Years just finished, Infantry school and Artillery school don't start for another week or so. Consider your orders to report down there amended for a few days. The paperwork has all been filled and confirmed. Your asses are mine for a few more days." He said casually. "In that time, I hope to ensure that the Empire gets the quality of soldiers it's paying for. I might not be the mighty Wolf but you'll see my fangs are quite sharp as well. Learn, little maggots, and learn quickly. The battlefield isn't as nice and comfy as you think. Lieutenant Clarkson, please continue the briefing."

The assembled soldiers were standing at attention, eyes front but the Major knew that a thousand thoughts were racing through their minds. He needed to nip their bad behavior in the bud. He couldn't risk sub-par training when the people next to them could very well be the ones to pay for it. Discipline was everything.

"All of you are under my command for the next few days, is that clear." The lieutenant said firmly.

Eight voices answered in chorus, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. Private Alexander, step Forward." Despite the cramped space that the soldiers had huddled into, the young woman stepped forward unflinchingly. "Alexander, you are now the designated squad leader." The teenager didn't even move at the honor. "Gather your things, and meet me at the Northwestern entrance in twenty. One way or another, you won't be returning here. Dismissed."

One by one, the women left the room in single file. Their sloppiness was apparent as the third element stumbled out instead of the finesse that was expected of a soldier of the Empire. It was almost painful to watch.

"You think it'll make a difference?" The major asked as soon as he was confident they were out of earshot.

"I'll make it work, sir."

* * *

Olivia tried not to panic. She had never been the leading type. Even worse, she had Kasumi and Janelle to deal with. Who knew when the bullying would break out? She tried her best to make sure her new squad moved quickly, but she had always been a follower. She didn't know how to give commands and the atmosphere wasn't helping either. Everyone was in shambles, they had received a grade A tongue lashing after all. She didn't even remember them being this high strung after the Viceroy paid them a visit.

Still, she hustled and nudged them as best she could, which wasn't saying a lot. It was miraculous enough that they reached the rally point in time. They didn't have long before their new commander appeared before them, a tough looking man in tow. Olivia ordered her group to stand at attention in her best parade ground voice. It wasn't as loud as the drill instructors, but it was loud enough that their 'nonexistent' training kicked in.

"Good you made it. Form a circle around me, this isn't the kind of place for a lot of shouting." Clarkson silently waited as they rushed around like a bunch of uncoordinated ants looking for dinner. "This is Staff Sergeant Drake, he's my second in command. He'll be making sure everyone does what they're told. Now, I'm in charge of your little remedial training and you're not the first bunch of youngsters that I've had to browbeat so listen up, don't make things difficult for me and maybe, I'll let you people off lightly." The Lieutenant said. It had to be a trick, there was no way they were going to be treated with kid gloves after all the trouble they'd caused. She was just giving them a small glimpse of hope in an otherwise stormy day.

"Frankly, grunts, you may know how to shoot, you may know everything there is to learn about being in the military but that doesn't mean you're fit to be in it. Discipline and teamwork are key to the survival of our nation and by the Emperor, I will make sure you know it down to the smallest cell in your puny little bodies." She followed with hardened steel. "Normally, I'd throw the lot of you into some part of the wilderness and hope you survive. Unfortunately, I was specifically ordered not to after the last incident. Apparently bodies make for a lot of paperwork, who knew."

"Luckily, my second pick was okayed by the powers that be." She continued on, after a few tense moments. "We're going to embed ourselves within a convoy headed to the outskirts of Tokyo, and from there... well, I'll give further orders then. I only have two rules, follow my commands and don't talk to anyone except myself and the Sgt. here, until I tell you otherwise, understand?"

After their usual response, the lieutenant continued. "Good, good. What obedient peons you are. It almost makes me think everything is okay with the lot of you, but I'll be the judge of that, eh?"

Anything that followed was drowned out by the loud roar of diesel engines. Olivia didn't dare move to look at the approaching vehicles; she remembered all too well the numerous dressing downs she'd received for wandering eyes, something that she was loathe to repeat with an officer in front of her.

"Ah, looks like our ride... here." The lieutenant shouted, yet it came out barely audible to her ears. "Stand-by, I'll ... a truck..." It was only when the officer's back was turned did she dare glance at the oncoming rush of transports. There seemed to be no end to them. Truck after truck lined up perfectly, they were monstrous behemoths, known more for their transport capacity than their comfort. Brimming with materials as they were and open to the elements, she knew that this was going to be a long and bumpy journey.

* * *

It was amazing how quiet it was. It was like the constant ambient noise blended in their minds to create a static feed. To the outside observer, the surrounding environment was loud and boisterous, chirping birds, branches swaying in the wind, the hustle and bustle of the country side and the constant growl of engines. Unfortunately for Janelle, she didn't hear any of that. It might as well have been in an inaudible audio frequency as far as her mind was concerned. The atmosphere was thick with dread and deathly silent.

She was far from alone in the cramped and crowded hauler, yet no one dared move a muscle. It was like they were prey in the presence of an apex predator, frozen in a shroud of fear. There was little they could do with the threat of an immediate discharge hanging over their heads. In a way it was funny; eight women cowed into silence by one sleeping officer.

They had gotten on the truck without any difficulty, carefully storing their belongs in the center space between the benches that lined the cab's border. Their baggage didn't add much to the truck, in fact there was plenty of leg room, but it still felt like they were confined; that there was no way out and that they could only move so very little without catching the ire of the sleeping dragon. So, there they sat as the loaded truck rolled down the highway.

All she could do was stare at the passing environment, trying her best to ignore her peers. She was at the edge of the proverbial cliff and seeing the dismay on their faces would undoubtedly have pushed her over head first. She needed time to reflect and consolidate everything that had happened in the last hour.

Their superior officer had seemingly fallen asleep as soon as the convoy had hit the main highway. Janelle didn't know how long she would stay that way but she intended to take advantage of it. Whatever the lieutenant had planned might be worse than basic, but even worse was the threat of all her dreams crashing down. She wanted to serve, she wanted to do well now all of that was threatened and she was powerless to do anything about it.

Where was her resolve? It wasn't her first time being verbally bombarded nor did she think that it would be the last. Her uncle had always said that she needed willpower to succeed in a military career and she had done her best to prepare herself, but the layers she had carefully built to encourage herself had been stripped clean right off her. The Viceroy and his knights, her drill instructor and her training commander, they all had one thing in common. They thought that she lacked something. She couldn't help but feel that despite her impressive display in training, that those above her felt that she was still unsuited for this life.

That would have to change.

She began to analyze her past few months in the military. She was but a larvae in the grand scheme of things but surely there was something, even just a hint, of what she was lacking. Some clue that would point her to the right direction.

In the end, an idea was taking form in her head. It was unusual for her, someone who had always been in the spotlight, but it was something she could do. It was a liberating realization, that something so simple could still potentially turn around a happy, giddy feeling in the pit of her stomach. It lasted for all of three minutes, until Lieutenant Clarkson cleared her throat loudly, grabbing everyone's attention. The all too familiar feeling of dread returned in full force.

"Did someone die and forget to tell me? Or do we actually have a miracle on our hands? A group of woman not gossiping!" She teased "It's almost like I'm in another world. Don't be shy now, why don't you get to know your fellows. We'll be spending plenty of time together, best to know what each other is all about before anything _'tragic'_ happens."

* * *

They filled the empty void with noise. Discussions about anything and everything she could think of and more. It sprang out between pairs and trios like weeds. At first, people talked in hushed whispers afraid to draw too much attention to themselves, but the conversations quickly grew more boisterous, loud and unruly.

Kasumi, of course, kept her head down. Even when Squad Leader Alexander tried to get her to jump into their conversation. She bided her time and observed, like the proper piece of backwater society that she was. Everything would have been alright, no one paid much attention to her, except Janelle. As the hours went by, she could subconsciously feel the woman's gaze upon her, glaring and staring in a hungry, calculating way. Kasumi wasn't afraid, she could take whatever the soldier could dish out, but all the same she wanted to avoid any more trouble. It was a fools hope, but it kept her going all the same. With luck she'd only have to endure for a few more days before they parted ways permanently.

Her stomach rumbled, sending her thoughts screeching to a halt. They had yet to stop for chow, and their officer seemed to be comfortably asleep. She could endure, she had before but Kasumi hoped that they would get field rations soon. Whatever it was that Janelle wanted, she knew she would need her strength for it.

As it turned out, whatever she had planned would have to wait as there were more pressing matters to attend to.

It happened as Private Alexander was trying to get her involved in another meaningless discussion. The loud groan and sudden smell of ozone sent her instincts on alert. Thick white smoke started to come out of the trucks engine exhaust as their truck groaned loudly, interrupting everyone as she could feel the driver slowly pulling them over. The air was full of smoke, filling her with anxiety.

Her squad mates settled into a quiet pause at the situation but it was short lived. No one knew what to do. It wasn't long before they were mumbling again, whispered suggestions in the background filtered through her ears. Their voices rose up like a wave ready to crash into them, distracting them from everything going on around them. The wave rose in tempo and strength but it never crashed, instead it was slashed in two by the calm and clear voice of their officer. "Dismount ladies, and keep your eyes on the surroundings...a stopped vehicle is a vulnerable one."

One by one, the green squad hurriedly exited the cab, carefully clearing the smoke cloud that hung in the air behind the truck. When Kasumi had finally found her feet on the ground, she couldn't help but notice that the entire convoy had stopped. Soldiers were dismounting and fanning out, scrutinizing their surroundings for the smallest of discrepancies. Weapons were out, as if the men and women around them were expecting trouble, and that worried her even more.

She was unarmed and her seven fellow soldiers were in the exact same situation. Even worse, they were only wearing military regulation fatigues and those could hardly stop a bullet. For a brief moment, she allowed herself to get jealous at the supply personnel. It didn't last long. The sergeant who had been riding with the driver had just assigned her an area to observe, "Eyes peeled and yell if you see anything suspicious." He told her with a yell.

For almost a half an hour, she crouched down on the hard ground and roved her eyes around. She wiped the sweat off her brow as she tried to ignore the people scurrying about. Her eyes were continuously scanning the Japanese countryside. She was concentrating, yet the people around her weren't exactly subtle. She did her best to remain invisible as well, especially around the rather irate Lieutenant Clarkson. The woman was sounding more and more like a bull dog with each passing minute; whatever was happening, Kasumi's commanding officer didn't seem to like it one bit.

"What..."

"Can't or won't?" She heard her Lieutenant's voice cut in. "...That's...No...Ridiculous."

She could hear bits and pieces of the conversation which she could only assume was two officers having a_ polite _disagreement on things, and she wasn't the only one. She could feel Private Goldstein shuffle about as if she were agitated by something. It had started with the odd twitch but was now full blown fidgeting , as if the woman had the strong urge to pee but couldn't. It almost made her want to glance in the arguing officers direction, almost. Goldstein was closer to the pair of officers and could probably hear their conversation word for word. If her reaction was anything to go by, the next half hour would be painful.

Kasumi took in a deep breath and exhaled. There was no use worrying. Whatever it was she could take it. There wasn't much that could phase her anymore.

"Fine." She heard Clarkson's voice ring out heatedly.

Moments later she heard her temporary squad leader. "Huddle on me people, now." Alexander's soft voice announced.

"Okay, people, we're in a pickle. The convoy is about to go oscar mike, apparently they need to get a move on to keep up with their schedule. They've delayed long enough as it is trying to get this sorry excuse for a truck up and running." Clarkson paused long enough for the information to sink in. "Sadly, we won't be joining them. There's simply no room for us. Their commander tells me his transports are packed tighter then a sardine can. I looked and he isn't bullshitting. That leaves with a couple of options to get to Fort Armstrong before nightfall."

Out of the corner of her eye, Kasumi noticed Claire, one of her tormentors, openly frown. She didn't know what was happening, but if it had that kind of effect on the girl maybe it wasn't so bad.

"And no, that doesn't include waiting around here for pickup. The local base can't spare anything to take care of our ride for the next day or so. Does anyone in the class have any good ideas?"

"Marching?" Someone asked hesitantly.

"Ah, but wouldn't that be too easy for fit and energetic women like yourselves? I have something better in mind." The officer smiled, the white of her teeth sending shivers down Kasumi's spine

* * *

"On three!" Clakson yelled. "One, two, three. Push!"

Janelle pushed with all her might and the massive beast moved a whole inch. The lady was insane. There was no way they were going to get the truck home with nothing but muscle power. They had presumably moved the blasted thing over half a mile, but that had taken hours. There were ten of them pushing and they were getting nowhere. Even worse, she could feel her muscles strain with protest every time.

"Move it, ladies!" The voice cut through the silence like a whip crack.

Everyone was breathing hard and heavy, even the Eleven. She hated to admit it but that girl was the fittest of them all, and if her labored breathing was anything to go by, then there was just no way they were going to get this done within the next week, let alone by nightfall. It was plain insane.

"One more time!"

Yet they continued on, minute after minute, hour after hour with the hot scorching sun over their backs. Janelle could endure a lot, but this was ridiculous. What had she done to deserve this? Heck, what had anyone done to deserve this unfair treatment?

She was so tired that she didn't even notice that they weren't pushing on the paved road anymore. She didn't know when it had happened but there was nothing but dirt under her feet. When had they gotten here? Sure, Janelle had been behind the truck this whole time, but there was no way she could have missed something so huge as a change in scenery, was there?

"Last one, grunts. Push like your lives depended on it."

Befuddled and so exhausted that she couldn't think straight. Her body ached all over, but at least she was still standing. It could have been worse. Claire had stumbled on the latest charge and was kneeling on the ground breathing deeply. It almost looked like her red, sweaty face wanted to kiss the dirt.

"Private Landry, are you all right?" Clarkson asked from somewhere ahead. Claire only responded with a slight but pained nod, a smudge in military etiquette but the lieutenant let it pass . "Take ten, people. Hydrate and break out some rations."

Everyone had found their own little spot of shade to sit or kneel or stand, whatever position would produce the least amount of pain. No one moved; she doubted anyone could under the circumstance. Her body ached, not in the soothing way but in the jolt stopping painful way. She began to doubt she would ever see Infantry school.

"Private Grier," someone squeaked. She only had just glanced at the direction before a bottle of water was tossed in her direction. Kasumi; the girl was tireless. The Eleven had taken it upon herself to start handing out water from the supply truck. Janelle should have been disgusted or angry, but for once she was glad that the Eleven was in her platoon.

Time seemed to slow as she twisted the cap off and greedily drank the water. It was only after the water was gone that she finally took stock of their surroundings. They were in a small clearing surrounded on three sides mostly by trees and brush; an out of the way area off the side of the road. The few men from the supply company that had joined them were already hard at work stripping down the truck for what she could only assume was field maintenance.

As she realized what they were doing with added clarity, a deep rage started to roil in the bottom of her stomach. Why had they needed to push the blasted thing all the way here if they were going to attempt to repair it anyway? It didn't make sense. Not to her at least, but before she could continue in her mental rant, the vicious voice of her drill instructor lashed out, _'The military isn't supposed to make sense.' _

The memory did little to calm her, but she did her best to take a deep breath and clear her thoughts. As angry as she was, she couldn't forget the immediate discharge that still hung over her head. So, she did the only thing she could do in the situation; she bit her tongue.

Janelle sat in silence while her anger billowed and flowed, simmering inches from the surface like an active volcano just waiting to erupt. It would take little to nothing to set her off, in fact she was itching to release it. Yet before the inevitable implosion happened, someone had entered her field of vision. The sergeant.

"Everything alright, Private? Make sure to get some food in ya, I doubt we'll be staying here, long." He said casually. It wasn't the tone that caught Janelle off guard, but the man's posture. He was relaxed, unfatigued as insane as it sounded. As if they hadn't just gone cross country pushing a multi-ton truck. The man even looked like he could have gone for hours more. Impossible.

Still, despite her shock she managed to respond. "Yes, sir. I will, Sir. "

"I know it's still reflex, kid, but I'm a Staff Sergeant." He replied with a piercing look that made her freeze in place, weary of any more trouble. "Be sure to address me as such, or you're going to have more problems than you can count. That clear, Grier?" He continued softly.

"Yes, Staff Sergeant."

"Good. Now, make sure you hold yourself together, but more importantly, pace yourself. It's easy to lie to ourselves and think we can give it our all every single time, but that isn't true. It's something you learn in basic, and it's something that gets drilled into you later on, but you ladies don't have that chance. We're only human, keep that in mind later on. We still have some ways to go. But look on the bright side, survive this and you might just have a story to tell the twerps at advanced training. It isn't everyday you get a workout with Charging Clarkson." He said in a little reverence.

As the man walked away, she realized that all her rage had melted away. It had happened gradually, but the relatively polite non-commissioned officer had managed to peel it away. He talked to her like he was teaching her something; what, she didn't quite know but it was enough for her to cool down. She was inexperienced and that seemed to be costing her a lot.

It was eerie that at one glance he could tell that she wasn't holding herself back. It wasn't who she was, but it seemed like so many other things, that it was something to learn. Still, the way that he had talked about their officer was irritating. What was so good about that woman? Clarkson seemed like a deviant intent on working their bodies into the ground over something that she couldn't control; namely one Kallen Wallbridge.

"Okay, we're ten miles away from where we're supposed to be." Clarkson said. "Now, we're going to leave these wrench turners to do their unscheduled training exercise. They're going to camp out here and get in touch with nature as they try to fix their little toy while we hike to our destination. The good news is that we'll have a shower and some hot chow waiting for us, and maybe even a fluffy bed to get some sleep in, when we get there. So grab your gear, we move out at exactly seventeen hundred hours."

Kasumi, checked her duffel to make sure it hadn't been tampered with. A brick or two wasn't something that scared her, but losing what few mementos she had would have hurt. Luckily, everything looked to be in order. She was partly surprised at that revelation. Everyone around her may have been tired but that wouldn't have stopped them if they'd wanted to harass her. This was the first time in a long while that no one had singled her out. Perhaps it was a sign of better things to come? She didn't get a chance to dwell on the question as she couldn't help but overhear her commanding officer.

"Let me get this straight, your captain, who is not in my chain of command, wants us to drag two, two hundred pound boxes on our cross country walk-a-bout?" She asked loudly and with steel in her tone.

"Yes, Ma'am. They're vital supplies, " The corporal responded carefully, as if he was tiptoeing around a lion.

"Oh... In that case, boy." She paused as if she was mulling it over in her head, "Can do." The smile on the officer's face was telling, at first glance it seemed innocent enough but if one looked hard enough they could see a slave driver in disguise. The Corporal on the other looked about just ready to faint. Did the enlisted man know something that she didn't? Possible, probable even, but what made their lieutenant so scary? There couldn't be any truth to her losing people in training, right?

"Staff sergeant, see if you can scurry up some harnesses for our little troop here. Wouldn't want them to have too much of a hard time." Kasumi was tired like everyone else, but that didn't seem to encourage anyone to actually balk at the task. It was almost if they were in a real battlefield, going from place to place with little to no rest. It was a challenge and she would meet it, like everything before it. If nothing else, it was going to be an interesting ten miles.

* * *

A.N What did you think? The heavier stuff is in the continuation, the stuff I really wanted to write too. I really wanted to post it together but well I have more work than I thought i would. If anyone spots errors, mind pointing them out? Review if you can,


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